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The pioneers of soul music, regardless of their color, creed, gender or sexuality, will always hold a special place in the music industry for laying down the foundation to a genre that in some way or another has influenced all the others. It’s for that reason that many today are in deep mourning following the death of R&B/jazz legend Bobby Caldwell on Tuesday night (March 14).
According to Mary Caldwell, his wife of almost 20 years, Bobby died peacefully in her arms after coming down with Fluoroquinolone toxicity (i.e. being “floxed”) over the past six years due to an antibiotic he took back in 2017.
RELATED: Singer/Songwriter Bobby Caldwell Dies at 71
Caldwell, the Blue-eyed soul crooner responsible for classic numbers like “Coming Down from Love,” “All of My Love” and his top 10 signature hit “What You Won’t Do for Love,” was a man that knew a lot about, well, love! His songs have captivated us since the mid 1970s, and every decade since influenced a legion of fellow musicians who followed in his melodic footsteps. From the self-titled 1978 debut to his last album released in 2015, perfectly titled Cool Uncle, Bobby Caldwell left us with timeless R&B and jazz jams that we’ll forever sing along to.
In honor of his decades of nonstop soul bangers, we put together a list of 10 definitive Bobby Caldwell songs that will always get play at the cookout. Some you absolutely know, others you don’t and a good amount you’ve probably heard for years and never knew it was a white man singing those songs. Glad to put you on to the legend either way!
Musical debut; non-album single.
Breakout single; signature hit from self-titled album, Bobby Caldwell.
His third top 40 hit on the R&B charts (#36).
Second-biggest Hot 100 hit (#42). Lifted from his 1980 album, Cat in the Hat.
Lead single from his third album, Carry On.
From his third album, Carry On.
From the soundtrack to the 1988 motion picture Mac and Me.
Lead single from his top 5 jazz album, Soul Survivor.
His last official single from final album, Cool Uncle.
The classic song that rapper Common sampled for his 2000 hit “The Light.”
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