Death of 2 legendary performers rock music world as 2025 gets off to heartbreaking start

Less than a week into the new year, and 2025 has already proven tragic for the music world as two legendary performers have died.

Iconic soul singer Brenton Wood’s death was announced Friday by his manager, Manny Gallegos.

He was 83.

That came just a day after news broke that Wayne Osmond, a former singer and guitarist for the once-time teen idol group, the Osmond Brothers, had died at the age of 73.

Per Variety, Gallegos said Wood had a final message for fans: “Catch you on the rebound.”

That, the site said, was a reference to his 1967 song.

Wood, whose real name is Alfred Jesse Smith, was born in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1941.

He is perhaps best known for his 1967 hit “The Oogum Boogum Song,” which rose to No. 19 on the Billboard R&B charts. Variety noted that the song “found new audiences” throughout the years as it was used in films and TV shows including “Almost Famous,” and “The Umbrella Academy.”

Another of his 1967 songs, “Gimme Little Sing,” hit No. 9 on the pop charts.

Variety reported that Wood launched a farewell tour called “Catch You on the Rebound: The Last Tour,” recently but that was paused when he had to be hospitalized.

Meanwhile, Osmond’s younger brother, Donny, posted about his death on Instagram, revealing that he died from a stroke.

“Wayne brought so much light, laughter, and love to everyone who knew him, especially me,” he wrote. “He was the ultimate optimist and was loved by everyone.”

The Los Angeles Times noted that Osmond also had surgery for a brain tumor in 1997, and had another stroke in 2012 “that left him unable to play guitar.”

Osmond’s daughter, Amy Cook, also posted about his death on Facebook.

“Wayne Osmond, beloved husband and father, passed away peacefully last night surrounded by his loving wife and five children,” Cook wrote. “His legacy of faith, music, love and laughter have influenced the lives of many people around the world. He would want everyone to know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true, that families are forever, and that banana splits are the best dessert. We love him and will miss him dearly.”

Cook wrote that she was “having a hard time expressing the depth of my sadness that I won’t have my ‘twin’ in my life for a while.”

“But I am so grateful for the time I was able to spend with him,” she continued. “I am grateful for the incredible memories. I am grateful for his strength, loyalty to our family, incredible talent and energy, and most of all, his love. I look forward to the day when I can see him again on the other side.

“I love you, Dad.” Osmond was a native of Ogden, Utah.

Along with his brothers Alan, Merrill and Jay, he started The Osmond Brothers. They were considered teen idols.