Beloved soul vocalist and songwriter Brenton Wooden died in the present day (Jan. 3) at his house 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 resembling “The Oogum Boogum Track,” “Gimme Little Signal” and “Child You Bought It.”

Gallegos advised Selection that Wooden’s closing phrases have been “catch you on the rebound” — the identify of the track on the B-side of the 1967 “Child You Bought It” single.

Wooden, whose actual identify was Alfred Jesse Smith, moved from Louisiana to San Pedro, Ca., as a toddler and commenced pursuing music domestically after highschool. Launched in 1967 by Double Shot Information, “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.Ok., and “Child You Bought 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 motion pictures and TV exhibits through the years, together with Virtually Well-known, Beverly Hills 90210, Don’t Fear Darling and The Umbrella Academy. It was one in every of many songs that unexpectedly endeared Wooden to the Latino neighborhood in California and different neighboring states.

“They’ve sort of picked me out of the entire batch, they usually hold me going,” Wooden advised 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 era 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 Information in 1972, on which he issued the cult basic single “Sticky Increase Increase (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 Information.

The artist performed exhibits in early 2024 as a part of a farewell tour dubbed Catch You on the Rebound, nevertheless it was placed on maintain when he was hospitalized for undisclosed medical points.

To see our working listing of the highest 100 best rock stars of all time, click on right here.

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