Caldwell's melodic tunes excel in genres like jazz and R&B, and his song "What You Won't Do For Love" climbed the Billboard 100 charts in 1978.
Bobby Caldwell, the man behind the 1978 platinum hit "What You Won't Do For Love," has died at age 71
he was best known as a silky-voiced master of so-called blue-eyed soul.
“Most of the wonderful people I’ve gotten to know in the radio business, they all say the same thing,” Caldwell said of music in an interview with NPR in 2005. “It’s like a universal language, and should have no barriers.”
Caldwell’s soulful voice and music were a favorite in hip-hop culture, often sampled by artists who created even more memorable songs out of his life’s work.
An official cause of death has not been released; his wife said he died of fluoroquinolone toxicity after an antibiotic he was prescribed in 2017 wreaked “havoc” on his body.
The soulful singer-songwriter's wife, Mary Caldwell, announced his death on his official Twitter account Wednesday, saying he died at home.
Mary Caldwell told The Associated Press that he died in her arms at their home in Great Meadows, New Jersey, on Tuesday, after a long illness.
Caldwell had been battling a long illness, his wife, Mary Caldwell, said. He was 71.
Caldwell’s hit song “What You Won’t Do For Love” hit the Billboard 100 charts after its release in 1978. Artists including Tupac Shakur, Common and John Legend have all sampled his music.
Bobby Caldwell, the soulful singer and songwriter behind R&B hits like “What You Won’t Do For Love” and “Open Your Eyes,” has died, according to a statement from his wife, Mary Caldwell.