American Soul singer-songwriter Brenton Wood whose real name is Alfred Jesse Smith was born in Shreveport Louisiana Wood was one of 11 children..Brenton Wood had the feel-good soul-pop sound of the late 1960s. His family moved to California when Wood was young, and the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles inspired his artistic name. He was influenced by Jesse Belvin’s and Sam Cooke’s music. He began writing while also becoming a pianist.
Brenton Wood’s first song “HIde-A-Way” was released on January 1, 1963. He is best known for his songs “Gimme Little Sign” and “The Oogum Boogum Song”. Brenton Wood became a Latino superstar after moving to East Los Angeles and performing at Lowrider festivals. His music became popular with the low-rider communities of East LA. Brenton Wood, the R&B singer and songwriter, said, “You break up, go back together, make all the telephone calls, your heart’s going pound, pound, pound. It’s all human nature”. He also said, “They’ve kind of picked me out of the whole batch, and they keep me going”. Wood was known for his lyrics about first love, heartache, and the yearning to be with a lover.
The first hit song he wrote was “The Oogum Boogum Song,” which was released on Double Shot Records. The song reached number 19 on the US Billboard R&B chart and 34 on the Billboard Hot 100. Wood’s next hit was “Gimme Little Sign,” which reached 9 on the pop chart and 19 on the R&B charts. Wood’s third hit of 1967 was “Baby You Got It,” which reached number 34 on the Hot 100. He even performed here in El Monte. Brenton Wood sang on the album Memories of El Monte. The song he sang on the album is “I Think You’ve Got Your Fools Mixed Up”.
He passed away on January 3, 2025 (age 83 years), in Moreno Valley, CA from natural causes. The day he passed away low-rider communities went cruising in East La celebrating and honoring the life and music of Brenton Wood. His music was rooted in the city of Los Angeles and its Chicano communities, and it captured hearts for decades. Wood’s manager Manny Gallegos said that Wood’s final words were “Catch you on the rebound,” which referenced his 1967 song and the name of his final tour. Brenton Wood’s last concert was part of his farewell tour, Catch You On The Rebound: The Last Tour. The tour was scheduled to include a concert at Pechanga Arena in San Diego on May 11, 2024. However, Wood was hospitalized in May 2024 and was forced to pause the tour. Sadly he passed before he could perform for the show. Rest in peace to the legend, songwriter, and singer Brenton Wood.
