Brenton Wood: Soul legend dies at 83

Brenton Wood (1941-2025) is dead. The soul singer died peacefully in his sleep last Friday at the age of 83 at his home in Moreno Valley, California. .

Wood was a passionate musician until the end. As his manager reported, he was still sitting at the piano the evening before his death. “I asked him if there was anything else he wanted to say to his fans,” Gallegos recalls. “He replied, ‘Tell them: I’ll catch you on the way back’.” This was also the title of his “Catch You on the Rebound” tour, which he had to cancel due to health problems.

Wood was born Alfred Jesse Smith in 1941 in Shreveport, Louisiana. After moving to California with his family, he began his musical career. Inspired by artists such as Jesse Belvin (1932-1960) and Sam Cooke (1931-1964), he developed his characteristic style. He was in the studio for the first time in 1957.

In a career spanning over 60 years, Wood released nine studio albums and several compilations. His biggest hits “The Oogum Boogum Song” (1967) and “Gimme Little Sign” (1967) shaped the sound of the 1960s. His catchy melodies also found their way to Hollywood – they were used in successful productions such as “Almost Famous”, “Don’t Worry Darling” and “Big Little Lies”.

Wood remained true to his music until the end. About his career in the summer of 2023. His “Catch You on the Rebound” tour was supposed to be his big farewell to the stage, but had to be canceled due to his deteriorating health.

With Brenton Wood, the music world is losing one of its last great soul pioneers of the 1960s.