Beloved soul vocalist and songwriter Brenton Wooden died right this moment (Jan. 3) at his dwelling in Moreno Valley, Ca., his supervisor Manny Gallegos confirmed to Selection. The artist, who was born Alfred Jesse Smith in Shreveport, La., was finest identified for hits akin to “The Oogum Boogum Track,” “Gimme Little Signal” and “Child You Acquired It.”
Gallegos instructed Selection that Wooden’s last phrases have been “catch you on the rebound” — the title of the tune on the B-side of the 1967 “Child You Acquired It” single.
Wooden, whose actual title was Alfred Jesse Smith, moved from Louisiana to San Pedro, Ca., as a baby and started pursuing music regionally after highschool. Launched in 1967 by Double Shot Data, “The Oogum Boogum Track” turned a nationwide hit, reaching No. 19 on Billboard‘s R&B chart and No. 34 on the Scorching 100.
Later that yr, “Gimme Little Signal” rocketed to No. 9 on the Scorching 100 and No. 8 within the U.Okay., and “Child You Acquired It” additionally hit No. 34 on the Scorching 100 within the waning days of 1967.
“The Oogum Boogum Track” has appeared in quite a few films and TV exhibits over time, together with Virtually Well-known, Beverly Hills 90210, Don’t Fear Darling and The Umbrella Academy. It was certainly one of many songs that unexpectedly endeared Wooden to the Latino group in California and different neighboring states.
“They’ve form of picked me out of the entire batch, and so they maintain me going,” Wooden instructed the Los Angeles Instances in a 1992 interview. “I admire it, as a result of if I used to be ready for the large boys to name, I’d have died a very long time in the past. “They’re very loyal. That is just like the third technology of children which were following me. The youngsters like my music. It’s timeless music I believe, as a result of everybody that grows up is certain to undergo this at one time or one other — break up, get again collectively, boyfriend-girlfriend sort stuff.”
Wooden launched his personal Prophesy Data in 1972, on which he issued the cult traditional single “Sticky Growth Growth (Too Chilly) Half I and II.” He had one other minor hit in 1977 with “Come Softly To Me” and later launched music on one other of his personal labels, Mr. Wooden Data.
The artist performed exhibits in early 2024 as a part of a farewell tour dubbed Catch You on the Rebound, but it surely was placed on maintain when he was hospitalized for undisclosed medical points.
To see our operating listing of the highest 100 biggest rock stars of all time, click on right here.
