Soul singer Brenton Wood, behind the 1967 hit Oogum Boogum Song, dies aged 83

The soul singer Brenton Wood has died at the age of 83, TMZ and Variety reported. Wood’s manager, Manny Gallegos, confirmed the news.

Wood, born Alfred Jesse Smith, is best known for his 1967 hit The Oogum Boogum Song, which has repeatedly been used across film, television and in commercial campaigns. He died at his home in Moreno Valley, 63 miles east of Los Angeles, Gallegos told the publications.

Wood was born in Shreveport, Louisiana and raised in San Pedro, a coastal neighborhood in Los Angeles. He went to high school in Compton and attended Compton College where he caught the music bug.

Wood was a singer and pianist and, in addition to the song he is best known for, Wood covered the classic A Change is Gonna Come, which was originally performed by Sam Cooke, one of his musical inspirations.

While Wood put out several records before the hit, The Oogum Boogum Song put him on the map. The upbeat tune peaked at No 19 on the Billboard R&B charts, according to Variety. In 1972, he formed his own label Prophesy Records, and over the past nearly five decades he continued to release music on his label Mr Wood Records.

Wood’s hit Oogum Boogum Song found new popularity in films and TV shows such as The Umbrella Academy, Almost Famous and Don’t Worry Darling.

He launched his final tour, called Catch You on the Rebound, in early 2024. The tour was named after Wood’s 1967 song of the same name.

In May, Wood was hospitalized, putting a stop to the tour, according to Variety.