Alfred Jesse Smith was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, on 26 July 1941 but moved to San Pedro in Los Angeles with his family as a child.
After graduating, he enrolled in East Los Angeles College, where he began singing in local R&B groups such as Little Freddie and the Rockets and the Quotations.
He eventually went solo and took the stage name Brenton Wood.
He released a number of records but achieved his first hit with The Oogum Boogum Song in 1967, which reached #19 on the Billboard R&B chart.
Within a few months, Wood struck gold again, this time with Gimme Little Sign, which peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 1972, he formed his own label and continued to release music until 2009.
Wood died of natural causes on 3 January 2025 at his home in Moreno Valley, California. He was 83.
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After graduating, he enrolled in East Los Angeles College, where he began singing in local R&B groups such as Little Freddie and the Rockets and the Quotations.
