Robert Hunter Caldwell, better known as Bobby Caldwell, was a famous American singer, composer, and musician. The renowned person passed away lately at the age of 71. He made several albums that included R&B, soul, jazz, and adult contemporary.
He was known for his soulful and versatile voice. In 1978, Caldwell released “What You Won’t Do for Love,” the hit single and signature song from his debut double-platinum album Bobby Caldwell.
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When Did Bobby Caldwell Die?
Bobby Caldwell’s wife, Mary Caldwell, wrote on Twitter the singer-songwriter, who was a master of a multitude of musical genres, passed away on Tuesday. He was 71 years old.
His wife reported that he died of fluoroquinolone poisoning after an antibiotic he took in 2017 wrecked “havoc” on his body. An official cause of death has not been revealed. However, an autopsy was performed.
She said, “He was prescribed that with a runny nose and cough, and it never should have happened, but it did, and it’s irreversible if you get hit real bad as he did. It just wreaks havoc.”
In 2016, the FDA warned against using fluoroquinolones to treat “less serious” bacterial infections due to the risk of irreversible side effects. Warning labels were also modified in 2013, adding language indicating that the medicine may cause irreversible nerve damage. To the average consumer, quinolone antibiotics are probably most easily recognizable by Cipro.
Questlove, who collaborated with Common on the song “The Light,” which sampled Caldwell’s “Open Your Eyes,” paid tribute to the late musician on his Instagram, recounting his many failed attempts to collaborate with him.
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When Did He Decide To Pursue A Career In Music?
At 17, Caldwell decided he wanted to pursue a career in music. He was influenced by musicians such as Nat King Cole and the Beatles, and he went on to create and sing hit songs, such as “What You Won’t Do for Love” and “My Flame.” His website’s profile states that his parents were also performers and held a musical variety show.
Caldwell’s catalog has lasted long because he can sing in different styles, like jazz and R&B. About 20 years after the original release of “What You Won’t Do for Love,” Boyz II Men sampled it for their song “To the Limit” in 1997.
Caldwell was also sampled by 1990s rap star Biggie Smalls, specifically in his hit “Sky’s the Limit,” later used in a movie about the rapper’s life and career. Caldwell lived in New Jersey and is survived by his wife and two daughters.
Before his role as Frank Sinatra in a Las Vegas show titled “The Rat Pack Is Back!” in the 1990s, he was best known as a silky-voiced master of so-called blue-eyed soul.
In a 2019 interview with Richmond magazine, he said, “I was in an elevator once, and a guy said, Thanks a lot, Bobby, I just lost a bet. He bet a lot of money that I was Black and was wrong.”
He also achieved great success as a songwriter. His songs have been covered by artists like Chicago, Boz Scaggs, Neil Diamond, and Al Jarreau. “The Next Time I Fall,” which he wrote with Paul Gordon, was a hit for Peter Cetera and Amy Grant and went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1986. The song was named one of Billboard’s 25 best love songs in 2020.