Bobby Caldwell, the “What You Won’t Do for Love” singer-songwriter who traversed many genres, has died after fighting illnesses for years, TMZ reported Wednesday. He was 71.
“Bobby passed away here at home,” his wife, Mary, wrote in a tweet from Caldwell’s account. “I held him tight in my arms as he left us. I am forever heartbroken. Thanks to all of you for your many prayers over the years. He had been ‘FLOXED,’ it took his health over the last 6 years and 2 months. Rest with God, my Love.”
Caldwell began playing instruments at the age of 12, breaking out in the early 1970s as a guitarist for rock singer Little Richard.
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He grew up in Miami, Florida, where his mother sold real estate. One of her clients was reggae legend Bob Marley, and he and Caldwell became friends, he told NPR in 2005.
Caldwell said Miami is a “dumping ground for all types of music,” and he represented that upbringing through his diverse array of albums spanning jazz, R&B and soul, even writing the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “The Next Time I Fall” for Amy Grant and Peter Cetera.
“What You Won’t Do for Love” also managed to hit the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 back in 1978, and the song has been covered by a plethora of artists, including Michael Bolton and Boyz II Men. It was famously sampled in Tupac’s “Do for Love.”
