Biography
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Born
26 July 1941
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Born In
Shreveport, Caddo Parish, Louisiana, United States
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Died
3 January 2025 (aged 83)
Brenton Wood (born Alfred Jesse Smith in Shreveport, Louisiana, on 26 July 1941; died 3 January 2025) was an American singer and songwriter remembered for his two 1967 hits: "The Oogum Boogum Song" and "Gimme Little Sign".
When he was a child, Wood's family moved west to San Pedro in Los Angeles, California. In his high school years, his family relocated to nearby Compton where Brenton became a member of the Compton High School track team and received several awards for his athletic achievements.
Following his high school graduation, Wood enrolled in Compton College. Soon after he took the stage name Brenton Wood, possibly inspired by the wealthy Los Angeles enclave of Brentwood (some sources state that the name is in honor of his "home county"). During his period there his musical interests began to manifest themselves. He was inspired by Jesse Belvin and Sam Cooke, and he began cultivating his songwriting skills, also becoming an accomplished pianist.
After signing with Double Shot Records he had a hit with "The Oogum Boogum Song" in the spring of 1967. It reached number 19 on the R&B charts and number 34 on the pop listing. His biggest hit came in September the same year. "Gimme Little Sign" hit #9 on the pop chart and also #19 on the R&B charts. In the song gimme little sign is not sung, instead the chorus repeats "give me some kind of sign" (the song was later covered by Danielle Brisebois who had a hit with it in 1994 and also recorded by Ricky Nelson).
Some of his less well-known songs are also worth listening to, such as "Me and You," "Baby You Got It," and "18 With a Bullet."
A true music entrepreneur, in 1972 Wood formed his own record label and released, co-produced and co-wrote the Funk Soul classic "Sticky Boom Boom (Too Cold) Part I and II" with collaborators George Semper (co-producer, arranger) and Al McKay (co-writer, performer) of Earth, Wind & Fire fame.
Wood recorded the single, "Rainin' Love (You Gotta Feel It)" which was released on Midget M-101 in 1975. His next solo song to reach the charts was "Come Softly to Me" in 1977.
Wood returned again in 1986 with the album Out of the Woodwork, which included contemporary re-recordings of his early hits, along with several new tracks, including the single, "Soothe Me". His album "This Love Is for Real" came out in 2001.
In 2024, Wood began, but was unable to complete, his farewell tour Catch You On The Rebound: The Last Tour.
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