Bobby Caldwell Dead at 71
Hey, did you hear the news? Singer Bobby Caldwell reportedly passed away at 71 after battling an “extended illness,” according to music journalist A. Scott Galloway. DJ Soul Sister shared the news on her Twitter account on March 15.
Caldwell was known for his 1978 R&B hit single “What You Won’t Do For Love,” which has been covered countless times, including a recent rendition from Snoh Aalegra.
Soul Sister paid tribute to Caldwell by pointing out that his record company, TK Records, used a silhouette of him on the cover art of “What You Won’t Do For Love” to hide the fact that the soul singer was White. She also mentioned how Motown Records used the same method with Teanna Marie. Caldwell’s next album, “Cat in the Hat,” released in 1980, featured his face on the cover art, a play on words indicating that the cat was out of the bag about Caldwell’s race.
One of the songs on the album, “Open Your Eyes,” was famously sampled 20 years later by rapper Common on his hit single “The Light.”
Even in his latter years, Caldwell kept his sense of humor, going along with jokes on Twitter. However, his management team began tweeting about his canceled performances in July 2021 due to his health, and in May 2022, Soul Tracks shared a letter from Caldwell’s management that revealed the cause of his illness.
“In January of 2017 Bobby was given an antibiotic,” the letter read. “After taking the drug for several days, he experienced bilateral Achilles tendon ruptures and developed peripheral neuropathy. Despite these injuries, Bobby continued to perform with the aid of a wheelchair, cane, and his helpers. Unfortunately, Bobby’s condition continues to worsen. He has a great deal of neuropathy pain, and his mobility is limited.”
The letter went on to say that Caldwell had planned on performing and making music for the rest of his life and that his condition was truly heartbreaking. Caldwell’s passing is a loss to the music world, but his legacy lives on through his timeless music. – First seen in Rolling Out
