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Gwen McCrae

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gwen McCrae
Also known asThe Queen of Rare Groove
Born
Gwendolyn Patricia Mosley

(1943-12-21)December 21, 1943
Pensacola, Florida, U.S.
DiedFebruary 21, 2025(2025-02-21) (aged 81)
Miami, Florida, U.S.
Genres
OccupationSinger
Years active1969–2012
Labels
Spouse
​
(m. 1963)​

Gwendolyn Patricia McCrae (née Mosley, December 21, 1943 – February 21, 2025) was an American singer. She is best known for her 1975 hit "Rockin' Chair", which reached number one on the Billboard Hot R&B chart and number nine on the Billboard Hot 100.[1] Known across Europe as the "Queen of Rare Groove",[2] McCrae's gospel, soul, disco, and funk vocals have been heavily sampled in dance music, including songs by Cassius, Madlib, Lady Gaga, Avicii, and Mobb Deep. The New York Times has credited her early 1970s hits as paving the way for disco music.[2] She performed regularly in Europe until 2012, when a stroke paralyzed the left side of her body.[2][3]

Life and career

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1960s–1970s

[edit]

Gwendolyn Patricia Mosley was born on December 21, 1943, in Pensacola, Florida, the youngest of five children.[1][2][4][5] She and her siblings were raised by their mother, Winnie Mosley (née Lee), after the early death of their father, Aaron Mosley.[2] She started singing in church at the age of seven and performed in clubs as a teenager with local groups such as the Lafayettes and the Independents. In 1963, she met a young sailor named George McCrae, whom she married within a week.[1] The couple had two children together, Sophia and Leah, and she had two children from other relationships, Wanda and Alex.[2]

Gwen and George McCrae formed a duo called George & Gwen[6] in 1963 and began recording in 1967, when George returned home from the Navy.[2][7] With the help of singer Betty Wright, they signed a record contract with Alston Records, a subsidiary of Henry Stone and Steve Alaimo's TK Records.[1][2][7] Not long after, McCrae switched to Columbia Records to record southern soul music due to the duo's moderate success. When her soul endeavor was met with similar success, she returned to Alston Records to record lighter disco music that was characterized by a "Miami sound".[7]

Signed to TK subsidiary Cat Records as a solo artist, she released a cover of Bobby Bland's "Lead Me On" in 1970, which peaked at 32 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart.[1][8] In 1972, she recorded the song "Always on My Mind", which was covered by numerous artists, including Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, and the Pet Shop Boys.[9][10] Her 1973 song "For Your Love" reached number 17 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart.[8]

Following husband George's solo success with "Rock Your Baby" in 1974, McCrae went on to have a major hit of her own in March 1975 with "Rockin' Chair", which reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart.[2][8] Music critic Robert Christgau said "Rockin' Chair" is "almost as irresistibly Memphis-cum-disco-with-a-hook as hubby's 'Rock Your Baby.'"[11] The follow-up single "Love Insurance" also made the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart, peaking at number 16.[1][8] In 1976, she and husband George recorded an album called "Together", on which The New York Times remarked that they "sound more like strangers than loving husband and wife".[12][13] Because of their competing careers, they divorced that same year.[2][12]

1980s–1990s

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After TK Records collapsed in 1981, McCrae moved to New Jersey and signed with Atlantic Records, recording two albums. Her song "Funky Sensation" reached number 22 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart in 1981 and is considered her final successful song in the US.[8][14] In 1982, she released the disco song "Keep the Fire Burning", which peaked at number five on the Billboard Dance Club chart[8] and was a hit in UK dance clubs.[15] Some of her earlier recordings on the UK's Northern Soul scene maintained her popularity as a live act in Europe.[1] In 1984, McCrae moved back to Florida and recorded a one-off single for the small Black Jack label called "Do You Know What I Mean", then temporarily retired from the music industry.[1]

McCrae traveled to the UK to record a couple of singles for Rhythm King Records in 1987.[1] She also recorded an album for a British label called Homegrown Records in 1996, titled Girlfriend's Boyfriend. Upon returning to the US, she signed with the revived Goldwax label, distributed by Ichiban Records, and recorded another album, Psychic Hot Line.[1]

In 1999, the French house music duo Cassius released the single "Feeling for You", which sampled the vocals of McCrae's "All This Love That I'm Giving". It was a Top 20 hit on the UK Singles Chart.[16] The track also appeared on Cassius' album, 1999. In 1999, her single "Funky Sensation" was sampled in the German single "Get Up," by DJ Thomilla featuring Afrob.

2000s and beyond

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In 2000, McCrae released the single "Gittin' What I Want", which reached number 16 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart. McCrae released her first gospel album, I'm Not Worried, in 2004.[12] In 2008, rap DJ and producer Madlib released his album WLIB AM: King of the Wigflip, which includes the song "Gamble on Ya Boy", based on an "I Found Love" sample from McCrae's album Melody of Life.[citation needed]

In 2005, McCrae teamed up with the Soulpower organization,[17] which is also responsible for the comebacks of Marva Whitney, Lyn Collins, Martha High, Bobby Byrd and RAMP. Her collaboration with Soulpower resulted in various live performances with the Soulpower All-Stars.[17] In 2007, she appeared on several songs on Sounding Rick’s “Living in the Acoustic Projects” and again on his 2009 album “Blabbermouth”.

McCrae released her single "Now I Found Love" in December 2010 through Plain Truth Entertainment. "Now I Found Love" was mixed and produced by Steve Sola and composed by David Seagal.[citation needed] In June 2012, after performing on stage in England, she had a stroke that paralyzed the left side of her body and made her unable to walk.[18][19]

"Keep the Fire Burning" was included in The Vinyl Factory's 2016 list of 'The 100 Greatest Disco 12″s of All Time.[20] In August 2018, UK duo Disclosure released a cover of "Funky Sensation".[21] In 2021, German musician Cody Currie and English musician Eliza Rose released "Another Love", which sampled "Keep the Fire Burning". In their review of "Another Love", Rolling Stone magazine called McCrae's song a "dancefloor classic" that is "relentlessly funky".[22]

McCrae died at a care home in Miami on February 21, 2025, at the age of 81 after battling illness.[2][23]

Discography

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Albums

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Year Album Peak chart positions
US
[24] 		US R&B
[24]
1974 Gwen McCrae — —
1975 Rockin' Chair 121 18
Together
(with George McCrae) 		— 33
1976 Something So Right — —
1978 Let's Straighten It Out — —
1979 Melody of Life — —
1981 Gwen McCrae — 38
1982 On My Way — —
1996 Psychic Hotline — —
1997 Girlfriend's Boyfriend — —
1999 Still Rockin' — —
2004 I'm Not Worried — —
2006 Live in Paris at New Morning
(with the Soulpower All-Stars) 		— —
Gwen McCrae Sings TK — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Singles

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Year Single Peak chart positions
US Pop
[24] 		US R&B
[24][25] 		US Dance
[24] 		UK
[26]
1970 "Lead Me On" 102 32 ― ―
1972 "You Were Always on My Mind" ― — ― ―
"Leave the Driving to Us" ― — ― ―
1973 "For Your Love" ― 17 ― ―
"He Keeps Something Groovy Goin' On" ― — ― ―
1974 "Move Me Baby" ― — ― ―
"It's Worth the Hurt" ― 66 ― ―
1975 "Love Insurance" ― 16 ― ―
"Rockin' Chair" 9 1 ― ―
"Let's Dance, Dance, Dance"
(with George McCrae) 		― — ― ―
1976 "Cradle of Love" ― 53 ― ―
"Damn Right It's Good" ― 72 ― ―
"Winners Together or Losers Apart"
(with George McCrae) 		― 44 ― ―
1978 "Starting All Over Again" ― ― ― ―
1979 "The Melody of Life" ― ― ― ―
"All This Love That I'm Giving" ― ― ― 63
1981 "Funky Sensation" ― 22 15 92
1982 "Keep the Fire Burning" ― 60 5 ―
"I Need to Be with You" ― ― ― ―
1984 "Do You Know What I Mean?" ― 83 ― ―
1993 "All This Love That I'm Giving"
(with Music and Mystery)[26] 		― ― ― 36
2000 "Gittin' What I Want" ― 92 ― ―
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Huey, Steve. "Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved February 19, 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Risen, Clay (March 8, 2025). "Gwen McCrae, Singer Who Helped Open the Dance Floor to Disco, Dies at 81". The New York Times. Retrieved March 8, 2025.
  3. ^ "Beloved disco and soul singer Gwen McCrae has died aged 81". Mixmag. Retrieved February 24, 2025.
  4. ^ "Gwen McCrae Page". Soulwalking.co.uk. Archived from the original on December 25, 2002. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  5. ^ Maria Granditsky. "Gwen McCrae interview (Part 1)".
  6. ^ "Gwen McCrae - Keep The Fire Burning". Eats, Drinks & Leaves. May 15, 2024. Retrieved January 4, 2026.
  7. ^ a b c Cartwright, Garth (February 22, 2025). "The late Gwen McCrae brought emotion to dance music like no one else". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved January 4, 2026.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "Gwen McCrae | Biography, Music & News". Billboard. Retrieved January 4, 2026.
  9. ^ Risen, Clay (March 8, 2025). "Gwen McCrae, 81, Dies; Singer Helped Open the Dance Floor to Disco". New York Times. Archived from the original on March 11, 2025. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
  10. ^ Hilburn, Robert (April 24, 1988). "The Surprising Saga of 'Always on My Mind'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  11. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: M". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 7, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  12. ^ a b c Cummings, Tony (August 25, 2004). "Gwen McRae: The R&B star turns back to her gospel roots - Gwen McCrae". www.crossrhythms.co.uk. Retrieved January 4, 2026.
  13. ^ Ditlea, Steve (March 7, 1976). "Florida Funk—Hot Stuff From Hialeah". The New York Times. Retrieved January 4, 2026.
  14. ^ "Classic Soul - Gwen McCrae". Archived from the original on February 25, 2004. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  15. ^ Lazell, Barry (April 8, 1989). "Girls on top" (PDF). www.worldradiohistory.com. Retrieved January 4, 2026.
  16. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London, UK: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 97. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  17. ^ a b "A review of Gwen McRae feat Soulpower All-Stars". Soul Source. June 24, 2005. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  18. ^ Rizik, Chris (May 5, 2007). "Gwen McCrae - Biography". SoulTracks. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  19. ^ "Funky Sensation: An All-Star Benefit for Gwen McCrae". Time Out New York. August 9, 2012. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  20. ^ "The 100 greatest disco 12″s of all time — The Vinyl Factory". www.thevinylfactory.com. September 21, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2026.
  21. ^ Bein, Kat (August 23, 2018). "Disclosure Goes Disco On 'Funky Sensation' Sampling Gwen McCrae: Listen". Billboard. Retrieved January 4, 2026.
  22. ^ Leight, Elias (August 27, 2021). "Song You Need to Know: Cody Currie and Eliza Rose, 'Another Love'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 4, 2021. Retrieved January 4, 2026.
  23. ^ "R.I.P. soul and disco star Gwen McCrae". Soul Tracks. February 21, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  24. ^ a b c d e "Gwen McCrae - Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  25. ^ "Gwen McCrae Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Music VF. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  26. ^ a b "GWEN MCCRAE - full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
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