Bobby Caldwell dead at 71: What You Won’t Do for Love singer passes away in his sleep
Singer-songwriter Bobby Caldwell has died at the age of 71.
The New York native had been battling illness for many years before passing away.
Caldwell died in her sleep Tuesday night while at her residence in New Jersey, her rep shared Wednesday morning.
His wife of 2004, Mary Caldwell, broke the news on Twitter while thanking fans for their prayers.
“Bobby passed away here at home,” Mary said on Twitter. I held him tight in my arms when he left us. I am forever heartbroken.
The musician was known for his soulful and versatile voice while igniting the hit songs What You Won’t Do for Love.
Sad goodbye: Singer-songwriter Bobby Caldwell has died at the age of 71. The singer had been battling illness for many years before he passed away; seen in 2013
Mary also said: ‘Thank you all for your many prayers over the years. I had been ‘FLOXED’ she took the health of it for the past 6 years and 2 months. Rest in God, my Love.’
TMZ he stated that the singer “had been unable to walk for about five years while dealing with painful bouts of neuropathy and a ruptured tendon in his ankle.”
The New York native, whose full name was Robert Hunter Caldwell, began singing in the 1960s as a teenager.
He has released several albums spanning R&B, soul, jazz, and adult contemporary.
“Drawing from his vast repertoire of rousing R&B, intimate smooth jazz stylings, and big band songs, Bobby has the ability to entertain anywhere, for fans of all ages. In Japan and throughout Asia, he enjoys feverish popularity, selling out shows and achieving gold and platinum status for his releases in those countries,” he says on his website.
In addition to extensive touring, Bobby starred as Frank Sinatra in the David Cassidy/Don Reo stage production of The Rat Pack Is Back in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Bobby received rave reviews for his performance, both from industry critics and his loyal fans.
Bobby has appeared on The CBS Second Cup Café, The Tonight Show Starring Jay Leno, BET Jazz Central, and has been featured on numerous national and local networks.
As a singer, she has a successful career with numerous solo releases, which have earned her praise far and wide.
Gone too soon: His wife of 2004, Mary Caldwell, broke the news on Twitter as she thanked fans for their prayers. Caldwell died in her sleep Tuesday night while she was at her New Jersey residence, her representative shared Wednesday morning. Seen in 2011
He made his mark: The musician was known for his soulful and versatile voice as he ignited the hit songs What You Won’t Do for Love.
His songwriting skills have garnered hits not only for himself, but for well-known artists such as Chicago, Boz Scaggs, Peter Cetera and Amy Grant, Neil Diamond, and Al Jarreau.
Bobby’s timeless classic, What You Won’t Do For Love, has been recorded and sampled by over 100 artists, including Boys II Men’s rendition.
A sample of Bobby’s song Open Your Eyes was featured on Common’s Grammy-nominated, platinum rap hit The Light.
Artists as diverse as Tupac Shakur, Michael Bolton, Roberta Flack, Go West, Vanessa Williams, and the Notorious BIG have paid tribute to him.
Bobby’s classic song was sung by Elliot Yamin during the third round final of American Idol 2006.
Significant film and television credits have brought Bobby’s music to even wider audiences.
His original composition, ‘The Girl I Dream About,’ was featured in Hillary Duff’s ‘The Perfect Man,’ Charlie Matthau’s ‘Her Minor Thing,’ and ‘Simone,’ starring Al Pacino. .
Previously, her performance of ‘Beyond The Sea’ was selected by actor-director Joe Mantegna as the opening theme song for his directorial debut ‘Lakeboat’.
He loves being on stage: . “Bobby passed away here at home,” Mary said on Twitter. I held him tight in my arms when he left us. I am forever heartbroken. Seen in 2013
She was a fan: His songwriting skills have earned hits not only for himself, but for well-known artists such as Chicago, Boz Scaggs, Peter Cetera and Amy Grant (pictured), Neil Diamond, and Al Jarreau.
The song fit so well with the film that Mantegna commissioned Bobby to compose an original piece, ‘(Oh Boy!) You’ve Got It Made,’ as the ending theme.
‘Beyond The Sea’, along with ‘All The Way’ and ‘The Girl I Dream About’ are also featured in the film ‘My First Mister’, starring Albert Brooks and directed by Christine Lahti.
‘I’ve Got The World On A String’ was used in ‘Hearts In Atlantis’, which starred Anthony Hopkins. ‘Luck Be A Lady’ is the title song from the movie ‘The Cooler,’ starring William H. Macy, Alec Baldwin, and Paul Sorvino.
Born in Manhattan and raised in Miami, Bobby came from a show business family.
His mother and father sang and hosted one of the first music variety shows on TV, ‘Suppertime.’
Bobby grew up listening to show tunes, the music of Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Tony Bennett and The Beatles. These early influences are prevalent in Bobby’s singing and songwriting.