Legendary soul singer Brenton Wood cemented his place in history with a string of memorable ’60s-era hits.
• Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, the singer moved with his family to the LA area as a child.
• Inspired by Jesse Belvin and Sam Cooke, Wood taught himself to play piano and soon began writing songs inspired by his girlfriend troubles.
• Wood reportedly took his stage name from the affluent Brentwood neighborhood in Los Angeles.
• While in college, he formed a group called The Quotations and later joined Little Freddy & the Rockets, who released the single “All My Love” in 1958.
• He reached No. 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 with the 1967 single “The Oogum Boogum Song.” He wrote the catchy number while working as a crane operator at an aluminum factory.
• Wood scored his biggest hit with 1967’s "Gimme Little Sign,” which peaked at No. 9 on the Hot 100. That same year, he notched his third and final Top 40 hit with “Baby You Got It.”
• The African American singer remains beloved in the Latino community of Southern California.