*Friday morning (1/3/2025), my dad, Brenton Wood, peacefully took his last breath and transitioned from pain and sickness. I could see the calm come across his face, and although I am saddened to see him go, I am glad he is now at peace.
To the world, he was Brenton Wood, the man who sang “The Oogum Boogum Song” and “Gimme Little Sign.”
To his family, he was Alfred, the rock who everyone could depend on, but to me, he was and always will be, Daddy, the man who was larger than life, who loved his family fiercely, was loved by all, and the man who insisted on teaching me about money, and how to keep it.
It wasn’t easy growing up with a dad trying to make it in the entertainment business. There were times it seemed I saw more of him on television than I did in person. He was a frequent flyer on “American Bandstand” and was also on “The Real Don Steele Show” as well as “The Joey Bishop Show.”
The phone would ring whenever he was on television because there was always someone who would let me know he was on TV … like I didn’t already know. LOL! We got a kick out of the attention we got from having a celebrity dad, and Dad got a kick out of being able to buy us the coolest things. Mom used to mention how he grinned from ear to ear as he wheeled bikes down the street for my sister and me when “The Oogum Boogum Song” became a hit.
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Born on July 26, 1941, in Shreveport, Louisiana, Alfred Jesse Smith came from very humble beginnings and was the 7th of 11 children. His family moved from Shreveport to San Pedro, CA, and then to Compton, CA, where he attended Compton High School and later Compton Community College. He knew from an early age that he wanted to be a star, and taught himself how to play the piano, beginning at age seven, perfecting it through the years. Alfred worked full-time at a fish cannery while honing his songwriting skills. He signed a songwriting contract and began writing jingles. One day he was on his way to his manager’s office and needed a name by the time he got there. He was going through the Los Angeles community of Brentwood and thought of the name Brenton Wood. His first success came when he wrote and sang, “The Ooogum Boogum Song” followed by “Gimme Little Sign,” both selling one million copies and becoming gold records. (Before 1989, you had to sell one million copies for a gold record. In today’s world, that is a platinum record.)
Brenton loved his fans and wanted to see them, even as his health declined. His final stage appearance was in Long Beach CA in February 2024. He went in a wheelchair and with oxygen, but he went because he did not want to disappoint his fans by not showing up. That was the kind of person he was, right up until the end. He didn’t speak much in recent weeks, but once, just to get a reaction, I asked for his autograph. He beamed and said, “Why, of course!” LOL!
It didn’t matter that his hits were in the 1960s, Brenton Wood’s concerts drew a lot of interest and were usually sold out. At the time of his health decline, he was on his “Catch You on The Rebound Tour,” where fans stood through the performances swaying side to side as they sang along to songs that were more than 50 years old like they were listening to the newest songs out. Brenton Wood’s hits “Gimme Little Sign” and “Oogum Boogum” continue to be in heavy rotation on playlists, as well as heard on television commercials and in movies.
Brenton Wood’s health declined rapidly during the last year, but he kept his wit, personality, and love for music, family, and fans. He will live on in the memories of many, and through his happy-go-lucky, lovey-dovey kind of music.
January 3, 2025, dealt us a hard pill to swallow with Brenton Wood’s passing, but he left us music that will live for eternity and although I was not ready for my dad to leave, I take comfort in knowing I was with him, his last breath was calm, his transition was peaceful, and that his suffering has ended. The lessons he taught me will live on. To use his words, Dad, “Catch you on the rebound.”
Marilyn Smith is a Los Angeles-based writer/reviewer. Contact her via [email protected]
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: R&B Old-schooler Brenton Wood Gets His Flowers During Long Beach, CA Stage Appearance | PICs
