R.I.P.: Bobby Caldwell, R&B Singer, Songwriter

Bobby Caldwell (1952-2023)

Singer Bobby Caldwell, famous for his R&B hits “What You Won’t Do For Love” and “Open Your Eyes,” has died. He was 71, reports WGN-TV Chicago.

His wife, Mary Caldwell, announced his passing on Twitter on Wednesday morning. She said he had been suffering from health issues for the past six years.

“Bobby passed away here at home. I held him tight in my arms as he left us. I am forever heartbroken,” she tweeted.” 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.”

According to Regenerative Medicine L.A., being “floxed” means “your body has suffered from mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress due to an adverse effect from a fluoroquinolone antibiotic.”

Caldwell’s team revealed to TMZ that the “Real Thing” singer had a bad reaction to a prescribed antibiotic and said it caused his Achilles tendon to rupture, which caused him to suffer from nerve damage.

Fluoroquinolone antibiotics are used to treat serious bacterial infections, including bacterial pneumonia, according to the Food and Drug Administration. In 2018, the FDA updated its warning about the type of antibiotics, saying they can cause blood sugar problems, serious mental health side effects, increased risk of tendonitis and tendon rupture.

A 2021 study estimated acute tendon pain occurred in about 2% of patients 65 and older who are prescribed with this type of antibiotics.

Despite the potential for serious side effects, the FDA maintained that in cases of serious bacterial infections, “the benefits of these drugs outweigh the risks.”

The collection of rare side effects associated with the antibiotics are sometimes called fluoroquinolone toxicity, or being “floxed” for short.

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For some, the tendinitis mixed with cognitive issues is extremely painful. It “can feel like a bomb going off in their body with new symptoms appearing daily for the first 90 days,” said Regenerative Medicine.

Caldwell’s voice has transcended generations due to his 1978 hit “What You Won’t Do For Love.” The song has been remade by Boyz II Men, Snoh Aalegra, Michael Bolton, Roy Ayers, Phyllis Hyman and Go West. In 1998, the song was sampled in Tupac Shakur’s hit “Do for Love.”

Caldwell also wrote songs for  Neil Diamond, Al Jarreau, Roberta Flack and Boz Scaggs. He wrote the 1986 hit “The Next Time I Fall” for Amy Grant and Peter Cetera.