Brenton Wood, ‘Oogum Boogum’ and ‘Gimme Little Sign’ singer, dies at 83

Brenton Wood, the soul singer and songwriter known for catchy, upbeat hits including “The Oogum Boogum Song,” “Gimme Little Sign,” and “Catch You on the Rebound,” died in his sleep of natural causes at his home in Moreno Valley, Calif., on Friday. He was 83.

Manny Gallegos, who worked as Wood’s manager and assistant, confirmed the news to Entertainment Weekly and said, “I was there last night at his house. I was playing the piano for him. He was in the hospital bed, and I told him, ‘Friend, is there anything you want to say to your fans?’ And he says, you tell my fans I said, ‘Catch you on the rebound.'”

Wood was born Alfred Jesse Smith in Shreveport, La., in 1941. Shortly after, his family relocated to California, where he spent time in Los Angeles’ San Pedro neighborhood and in the city of Compton, where he went to high school and junior college, according to the biography on his website.

“It was during this period that his musical interests began to manifest themselves and he assumed the professional name Brenton Wood, using the name of his home county,” the biography says. “It was also during this time that Brenton became inspired by artists such as Jesse Belvin and the immortal Sam Cooke and began to cultivate his songwriting skills and become an accomplished pianist.”

In August 2023, Wood told NPR that the first time he went into a studio was in 1957. From then on he was a force, releasing nine studio albums and several compilations.

His infectious songs climbed the charts, and over the years have been featured in movies and TV shows like Almost Famous, Don’t Worry Darling, Big Little Lies, The Umbrella Academy, and Eastbound and Down.

Wood continued to tour even in recent years. He began a farewell tour, Catch You on the Rebound: The Last Tour, in recent months, but had to postpone dates because of his failing health.