Brenton Wood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brenton Wood
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Alfred Jesse Smith |
| Born | July 26, 1941 Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Origin | San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | January 3, 2025 (aged 83) Moreno Valley, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
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Alfred Jesse Smith (born July 26, 1941 – died January 3, 2025), known as Brenton Wood, was an American singer and songwriter. He became famous for his hit songs in 1967. These included "The Oogum Boogum Song", "Gimme Little Sign", and "Baby You Got It". His songs were popular on the Billboard charts.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Brenton Wood was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, on July 26, 1941. When he was a child, his family moved to San Pedro, California. He went to San Pedro High School for a short time. Later, he moved to Compton and attended Compton High School. There, he was a successful member of the track team. He won several awards for his sports achievements.
After high school, Wood went to East Los Angeles College. Around this time, he chose his stage name, Brenton Wood. He might have been inspired by the fancy Brentwood area in Los Angeles. During these years, he started to focus on music. He was inspired by artists like Jesse Belvin and Sam Cooke. He worked on his songwriting and became a skilled piano player.
Brenton Wood's Music Career
Becoming a Star in the 1960s
Brenton Wood started his music career by releasing songs with Brent Records and Wand Records. However, these early songs did not become popular. Later, he signed with Double Shot Records. In the spring of 1967, his fun song "The Oogum Boogum Song" became a hit. It reached No. 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also reached No. 19 on the R&B chart.
A few months later, Wood had his biggest hit with "Gimme Little Sign". This song reached No. 9 on the pop chart. It also sold over one million copies, earning a gold disc. A gold disc means a song has sold a lot of copies. Interestingly, the song's title "Gimme Little Sign" is not actually sung in the song. Instead, the chorus repeats "Give Me Some Kind of Sign". Wood's song "Baby You Got It" also became popular in late 1967. It reached No. 34 on the Hot 100 chart. His band during the 1960s was called Kent and The Candidates.
Music in the 1970s
In 1972, Brenton Wood started his own record label. He was a true music businessman. He released a funk-soul song called "Sticky Boom Boom [Too Cold] Part I and II". He worked on this song with George Semper and Al McKay from the famous band Earth, Wind & Fire. Wood also recorded a song with singer Shirley Goodman.
In 1975, he released another song called "Rainin' Love (You Gotta Feel It)". Music magazines gave it good reviews. His next song to appear on the music charts was "Come Softly to Me" in 1977.
Later Years and Farewell Tour
Brenton Wood released a new album in 1986 called Out of the Woodwork. This album included new versions of his old hits. It also had new songs, like "Soothe Me". His album This Love Is for Real came out in 2001. In 2006, he appeared on a TV show called Thee Mr. Duran Show. He performed several of his hit songs with his band.
In 2014, he worked with William Pilgrim & The All Grows Up. They made a new version of his song "Gimme Little Sign" for their album. In 2019, "The Oogum Boogum Song" was used in a TV commercial for Kinder Joy treats. In 2024, Brenton Wood announced his final tour, called Catch You On The Rebound: The Last Tour.
Personal Life and Passing
Brenton Wood was hospitalized in May 2024, which caused his farewell tour to pause. He passed away peacefully at his home in Moreno Valley, California, on January 3, 2025. He was 83 years old and was surrounded by his family and friends.
Discography
Albums
- Studio Albums
- Oogum Boogum (1967) – (Double Shot) – Reached No. 184 on the Billboard Hot 200
- Gimme Little Sign (1967) – (Liberty) – This was the UK version of Oogum Boogum
- Baby You Got It (1967)
- Come Softly (1977) – (Cream)
- Out of the Woodwork (1986) – (Golden Oldies)
- Sweet Old School (1995)
- Classic By Design (2000)
- This Love Is for Real (2001)
- Lord Hear My Prayer (2009)
- Compilation Albums
- Brenton Wood's 18 Best (1991)
- 18 More of the Best, Vol. 2 (1999)
- Better Believe It (2000) – (Demon / Westside)
Singles
- "Hide-a-Way" (1963)
- "I Want Love" (1966)
- "Sweet Molly Malone" (1966)
- "The Oogum Boogum Song" (1967) – US Billboard Hot 100 #34; US R&B #19
- "Gimme Little Sign" (1967) – US Billboard Hot 100 #9; US R&B #19; UK Singles Chart #8
- "Baby You Got It" (1967) – US Billboard Hot 100 #34; US R&B #30
- "Lovey Dovey Kinda Lovin'" (1968) – US Billboard Hot 100 #99
- "Some Got It, Some Don't" (1968) – US Billboard R&B #42
- "It's Just a Game, Love" (1968)
- "A Change Is Gonna Come" (1969) – US Billboard "Bubbling Under" #131
- "Whoop It On Me" (1969)
- "Great Big Bundle of Love" (1970)
- "Boogaloosa Louisian'" (1970)
- "Sad Little Song" (1971)
- "Sticky Boom Boom (Too Cold)" (1972)
- "You're Beautiful People" (1973)
- "Another Saturday Night" (1973)
- "All That Jazz" (1975)
- "Rainin' Love (You Gotta Feel It)" (1975)
- "It Only Make Me Want It More" (1975)
- "Bless Your Little Heart" (1976)
- "Come Softly To Me" (1977) – US R&B #92
- "Number One" (1977)
- "Let's Get Crazy Together" (1978)
Film Appearance
- Popdown – (1967) – Brenton Wood appeared in this movie. Other artists in the film included Julie Driscoll, Zoot Money, and Andy Summers.
See also
In Spanish: Brenton Wood para niños
- List of performers on Top of the Pops
- List of soul musicians
