The soulful singer famous for his 1978 song What You Won’t Do for Love died after a prolonged illness, according to a statement from his wife
Bobby Caldwell, the famous singer and songwriter behind such R&B singles as Open Your Eyes and What You Won’t Do for Love, has died at the age of 71.
The musician had had a prolonged illness, according to a statement made by his wife, Mary Caldwell. "Bobby passed away here at home. I held him securely in my arms as he left us. I am eternally saddened. Thanks to all of you for your many prayers over the years," she tweeted on his verified Twitter account.
Caldwell was noted for his deep voice and ability to sing across numerous genres, which he attributes to the variety of his hometown of Miami, Florida. His hallmark song, What You Won’t Do for Love, entered the Billboard charts immediately after its debut in 1978 and was sampled by Tupac Shakur in his posthumous 1998 hit Do For Love. Several performers like Common, The Notorious BIG and John Legend have sampled his songs.
Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, who teamed with Common on The Light, sample Caldwell’s Open Your Eyes, wrote a tribute on Instagram with a lengthy caption chronicling a years-long game of telephone with the late singer. "Man what a squandered chance to meet a legend. Thank you for your voice and gift," he wrote.
Caldwell was born in Manhattan in 1951 but raised in Miami, where he was exposed to the city’s Latin, Haitian, reggae and R&B music. He earned his major break as a rhythm guitarist for Little Richard in the early 1970s, and signed with TK Records, a company predominantly recognised for Black performers, in 1978.
Outside of his solo career, Caldwell composed songs for other singers, notably The Next Time I Fall for Amy Grant and Peter Cetera.
"Most of the beautiful individuals I’ve come to know in the radio profession, they all say the same thing," Caldwell remarked of music in an interview with NPR in 2005. "It’s like a worldwide language, and should have no barriers."