Soul singer Brenton Wood has died.

The 83-year-old musician - best known for his 1967 hit 'The Oogum Boogum Song' - passed away from natural causes at his home in Moreno Valley on Friday (01.03.25).

His manager and assistant Manny Gallegos confirmed the news to Variety.

Brenton was surrounded by his family as he passed and Gallegos said his final words for his fans were "Catch you on the rebound", a reference to his most famous song, which has repeatedly been used across film, television and in commercial campaigns.

Brenton was born Alfred Jesse Smith in Shreveport, Louisiana and raised in San Pedro, Los Angeles.

He went to high school in Compton, LA and later attended Compton College.

He adopted his stage name as a reference to his home county and was inspired by artists including Sam Cooke and Jesse Belvin.

Wood went on to cover the classic 'A Change is Gonna Come', which was originally performed by Cooke.

His biggest hits 'The Oogum Boogum Song' reached number 19 on the Billboard R B charts, and 'Gimme Little Sign' hit number nine on the pop charts.

In 1972 he founded his own label Prophesy Records and went on to release music on his label Mr Wood Records.

He launched his final tour, 'Catch You On The Rebound: The Last Tour' in 2024 but it had to be paused in May after he was admitted to hospital.

In recent years 'The Oogum Boogum Song' found new popularity in films and TV shows such as 'The Umbrella Academy', 'Almost Famous' and 'Don't Worry Darling'.

His single 'Great Big Bundle Of Love' also featured in season two of 'Big Little Lies'.