Bobby Caldwell

Chance the Rapper and Common Honor Bobby Caldwell in Instagram Messages

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Chance the Rapper and Common Honor Bobby Caldwell in Instagram Messages

Members of Hip-Hop are sharing their memories and honoring the late Bobby Caldwell. Chicago emcees Common and Chance the Rapper hit social media to share their memories.

Common sampled Caldwell’s “Open Your Eyes” for “The Light,” which dropped in 2000. Hitting Instagram, Common thanked Caldwell for his work.

“I can’t thank you enough!” Common wrote. “May God bless the soul of Bobby Caldwell!”

Also hitting Instagram, Chance the Rapper revealed a DM with Caldwell, where the late legend allowed a sample clearance.

This never happens. I’ve never received a message from an artist thanking me for sampling their record. This is a record that hasn’t even come out, and the legend himself reached out. I was so excited to meet you, I have not felt broken like this at a strangers passing in so long. You are a true legend and incredible person who I know I will see one day 🕊 RIP THE GREAT BOBBY CALDWELL 💔

– Chance the Rapper

Blue-eyed soul legend Bobby Caldwell died at age 71. The “What You Won’t Do for Love” singer died in his sleep on Tuesday night at his home in New Jersey, his representative confirmed.

According to TMZ, Caldwell was battling illness for years. For the past five years, Caldwell was unable to walk and had painful bouts of neuropathy and a ruptured ankle tendon.

His wife, Mary Caldwell, issued a statement on Twitter:

Caldwell’s “What You Won’t Do for Love” dropped in 1978, cracking the Billboard top 10 and powering his self-titled debut album to double platinum.

“What You Won’t Do for Love” is heavily covered, featuring renditions from Roy ayers, Michael Bolton, and lately, Snoh Aalegra. The single is also include as a sample in Tupac’s “Do for Love,” released in Feb. 1998.

The song was also sampled in DJ Jazzy Jeff’s “My Soul Ain’t for Sale,” “What They Do,” by 8Ball & MJG, “If I Could Change” by Master P, “Triangle Ship” by Terrace Martin and Kendrick Lamar, “Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number” by Aaliyah and more.

Rest in peace to Bobby Caldwell.

The post Chance the Rapper and Common Honor Bobby Caldwell in Instagram Messages appeared first on The Source.

Chance The Rapper Shares DM From Bobby Caldwell

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The death of Bobby Caldwell led to many tributes online, including one from Chance The Rapper. The Chicago rapper took to his Instagram page where he reacted following the news of Caldwell’s death. Chance shared a DM from Caldwell via Twitter where he personally thanked the soul singer for clearing a sample to an unreleased song. “Wow is this really u?” Chance’s DM read. Caldwell confirmed before extending his gratitude for having his music sampled. “Thanks for thinking of me. I’ll be honored if you sample my song,” he wrote. 

Chance The Rapper explained that his interaction with Bobby Caldwell is a rare one for any artist who he samples. “This never happens. I’ve never received a message from an artist thanking me for sampling their record,” Chance captioned his post. “This is a record that hasn’t even come out, and the legend himself reached out. I was so excited to meet you, I have not felt broken like this at a strangers passing in so long. You are a true legend and incredible person who I know I will see one day 🕊 RIP THE GREAT BOBBY CALDWELL.”

Chance The Rapper Reacts To Bobby Caldwell’s Death 

Caldwell passed away on Tuesday night at his home after years of battling illnesses. The “What You Won’t Do For Love” singer dealt with neuropathy and a torn tendon that prevented him from walking over the past five years. Though there hasn’t been any confirmation of his cause of death, his wife Mary said that his health issues progressed over the years and became significantly worse.

“Bobby passed away here at home. I held him tight in my arms as he left us. I am forever heartbroken,” Mary wrote on his official Twitter account. “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,” she concluded. Fans will miss Bobby Caldwell but his imprint in music, including hip-hop, will live on forever. Check out Chance The Rapper’s post above and share your favorite Caldwell song in the comments. 

Chance The Rapper Remembered A Kind Bobby Caldwell By Sharing An Unprompted, Thankful DM The Iconic Singer Sent Him

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bobby caldwell
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News of blue-eyed soul singer Bobby Caldwell’s death this morning was met by an outpouring of loving — and befuddled — messages online. While the former stemmed from the love audiences have for the lauded singer’s long-lasting hits like “What You Won’t Do For Love,” the latter were echoes of a semi-annual occurrence in which longtime listeners learned his ethnic background — a phenomenon of which the man himself never seemed to tire.

Then, there were the more personal messages. Chance The Rapper offered one of those on Instagram, fondly recalling a time the singer reached out to thank him for sampling one of his songs. Caldwell, who was an active Twitter user and enjoyed responding to messages from fans astonished to discover that he wasn’t Black, graciously told Chance that he’d be “honored” if Chance sampled the song.

Chance himself commented on how rare of an occurrence this is in the caption, writing, “This never happens. I’ve never received a message from an artist thanking me for sampling their record. This is a record that hasn’t even come out, and the legend himself reached out. I was so excited to meet you, I have not felt broken like this at a strangers passing in so long. You are a true legend and incredible person who I know I will see one day.

Chance isn’t the first artist to sample from Caldwell; in fact, his extensive experience being sampled within hip-hop (and the songwriter’s royalties they brought him) likely contributed to his encouragement. While many target=”_blank” title=””>artists who’ve been sampled have reached out to block the use of their songs or sue rappers for using them, Bobby, whose songs were used by Common, The Notorious B.I.G., and Tupac, among others, always seemed happy to share his music with the hip-hop world. Here’s looking forward to hearing what Chance cooked up in the very near future.

Bobby Caldwell, “What You Won’t Do For Love” Soul Singer, Passes Away At 71

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Even if you don’t recognize his name, chances are you’ve heard a Bobby Caldwell classic. The singer is one of the most celebrated voices in the industry, although many are surprised to see that a white man was belting out those hits. Sadly, the singer’s wife, Mary Caldwell, shared that Bobby passed away after years of struggling with health conditions. He was 71. Mary shared the unfortunate news on social media.

“Bobby passed away here at home,” she wrote. “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. -Mary Caldwell.” By “floxed,” Mary meant that her husband developed an adverse reaction to the antibiotic fluoroquinolone. People have begun flooding the internet with tributes and condolences as Caldwell’s music transcended genres and generations.

Remembering Bobby Caldwell

One of Bobby Caldwell’s most recognizable classics is “What You Won’t Do For Love.” The track has been chopped and screwed several times, especially within Hip Hop and R&B. Tupac Shakur’s “Do For Love” famously sampled the hit, as did Aaliyah in “Age Ain’t Nothin’ But a Number.” Other artists like Snoh Aalegra and Boyz II Men also delivered covers; the song remains a Caldwell favorite. Additionally, many will recognize Caldwell’s “My Flame” as the core sample of The Notorious B.I.G. and 112’s hit, “Sky’s the Limit.” Caldwell’s “Open Your Eyes” was also tapped by Common for “The Light” as well as Kendrick Lamar and BJ the Chicago Kid in “R.O.T.C. (Interlude).”

Throughout his career, the Soul singer delivered nearly 20 albums, both solo full lengths and compilations. A joke that followed Caldwell was that many listeners initially thought he was a Black man and were surprised to see he certainly wasn’t. However, it didn’t take away from the R&B singer’s talents, and fans worldwide applauded his releases and contributions to Soul. His classics are receiving several spins today as fans revisit his catalog, and entertainers from all facets of the industry are paying tribute. Check out a few below.

Honoring A Music Icon

Bobby Caldwell Has Died At The Age Of 71

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bobby caldwell dead 71
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R&B legend Bobby Caldwell, sometimes fondly known as the Cat in the Hat after his 1980 sophomore album of that name, has died at the age of 71, according to his wife Mary Caldwell via his Twitter account. “Bobby passed away here at home,” she wrote. “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.”

https://twitter.com/bobbycaldwell/status/163601080877674905

“Floxing” is a nickname for an adverse reaction to quinolone antibiotics, which are used to treat some bacterial infections, particularly for urinary tract infections or for immunocompromised patients. Children and the elderly are at greater risk of having an adverse reaction.

Caldwell is perhaps best known for his 1978 hit, “What You Won’t Do for Love,” which became a staple of R&B — and later, adult contemporary — radio. Such is the popularity of the hit that the singer was known for good-naturedly responding to fans on Twitter who noted their astonishment at learning that he was white and not Black. His label, TK Records, actually took pains to hide that fact on his first album cover, photographing him in silhouette in the hopes of making him more marketable to a Black audience.

“What You Won’t Do for Love” reached No. 9 on the Hot 100 and ended up being sampled by the likes of Tupac, so it must have worked. Other notable hip-hop samples from Caldwell’s catalog include “My Flame” from The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Sky’s the Limit” and “Open Your Eyes” from Common’s “The Light.” Caldwell continued recording through 2015, when he released Cool Uncle. His impact can never be overstated, and he will be missed.

“What You Won’t Do for Love” Singer Bobby Caldwell Dead at 71

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"What You Won't Do for Love" Singer Bobby Caldwell Dead at 71

Blue-eyed soul legend Bobby Caldwell has died at age 71. The “What You Won’t Do for Love” singer died in his sleep on Tuesday night at his home in New Jersey, his representative confirmed.

According to TMZ, Caldwell was battling illness for years. For the past five years, Caldwell was unable to walk and had painful bouts of neuropathy and a ruptured ankle tendon.

Caldwell’s “What You Won’t Do for Love” dropped in 1978, cracking the Billboard top 10 and powering his self-titled debut album to double platinum.

“What You Won’t Do for Love” is heavily covered, featuring renditions from Roy ayers, Michael Bolton, and lately, Snoh Aalegra. The single is also include as a sample in Tupac’s “Do for Love,” released in Feb. 1998.

The song was also sampled in DJ Jazzy Jeff’s “My Soul Ain’t for Sale,” “What They Do,” by 8Ball & MJG, “If I Could Change” by Master P, “Triangle Ship” by Terrace Martin and Kendrick Lamar, “Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number” by Aaliyah and more.

Rest in peace to Bobby Caldwell.

The post “What You Won’t Do for Love” Singer Bobby Caldwell Dead at 71 appeared first on The Source.

“What You Won’t Do for Love” Singer Bobby Caldwell Dead at 71

by
"What You Won't Do for Love" Singer Bobby Caldwell Dead at 71

Blue-eyed soul legend Bobby Caldwell has died at age 71. The “What You Won’t Do for Love” singer died in his sleep on Tuesday night at his home in New Jersey, his representative confirmed.

According to TMZ, Caldwell was battling illness for years. For the past five years, Caldwell was unable to walk and had painful bouts of neuropathy and a ruptured ankle tendon.

Caldwell’s “What You Won’t Do for Love” dropped in 1978, cracking the Billboard top 10 and powering his self-titled debut album to double platinum.

“What You Won’t Do for Love” is heavily covered, featuring renditions from Roy ayers, Michael Bolton, and lately, Snoh Aalegra. The single is also include as a sample in Tupac’s “Do for Love,” released in Feb. 1998.

The song was also sampled in DJ Jazzy Jeff’s “My Soul Ain’t for Sale,” “What They Do,” by 8Ball & MJG, “If I Could Change” by Master P, “Triangle Ship” by Terrace Martin and Kendrick Lamar, “Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number” by Aaliyah and more.

Rest in peace to Bobby Caldwell.

The post “What You Won’t Do for Love” Singer Bobby Caldwell Dead at 71 appeared first on The Source.