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Boston Globe
11-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Gwen McCrae, singer who helped open the dance floor to disco, dies at 81
She released most of her best-known songs through TK Records, a regional powerhouse founded by Henry Stone that counted other proto-disco acts, including Betty Wright and KC and the Sunshine Band, among its stable. She began performing with George McCrae as a duo. They recorded their own albums, sang backup on others, and carved a presence for themselves in the clubs of South Florida. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up They also performed separately, and Gwen McCrae's repertoire was not limited to dance songs. On her own, she was the first person to release a version of the ballad 'You Were Always on My Mind,' in 1972; sometimes shortened to 'Always on My Mind,' it was later recorded by the likes of Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, and the Pet Shop Boys. Advertisement "She was an amazing talent," Harry Wayne Casey, a songwriter at TK Records and the lead singer of KC and the Sunshine Band, said in an interview. "She had one of the most soulful voices I've ever heard." After the worldwide success of George McCrae's signature hit, "Rock Your Baby," in 1974, Gwen McCrae recorded her own hit the next year: "Rockin' Chair," a sensual, swinging tune that topped the Billboard R&B chart and reached No. 9 on the Hot 100 pop chart. There was some dispute over how the two came to record their respective songs. Gwen McCrae later said that Casey and Richard Finch had written 'Rock Your Baby' for her, but that she had given it to her husband to help his career — and then asked for her own hit song once his went big. Advertisement But George McCrae had a different spin: Their marriage was on the rocks, he said, and she had given him "Rock Your Baby" in a bid to keep them together. Regardless, their marriage did not last. They divorced a year later. After TK Records closed in 1981, she moved to New York City and signed with Atlantic, where she had a minor hit with "Funky Sensation" in 1981 and recorded two albums. Although her career had begun to slow in the postdisco era, she found a new fan base in Europe, especially in Britain, where the discovery of classic American soul, sometimes called 'rare groove,' was underway in the 1980s. DJs and hip-hop artists sampled her songs. She became known as the 'queen of rare groove' across Britain and Europe. "When I went overseas, I didn't know people loved me so much. They really loved my old stuff," she said in a 1996 interview with a Swedish journalist. "Yeah, I was shocked!" Gwendolyn Patricia Mosley was born Dec. 21, 1943, in Pensacola, Fla. Her father, Aaron, died when she was young, and she was raised by her mother, Winnie (Lee) Mosley. She began singing gospel songs in church and aspired to make religious singing her career. Even later in her career, when she was belting out disco tracks filled with double entendres, she found it uncomfortable to be too explicit. "I had the worst time singing 'Damn Right It's Good,'" she said in the 1996 interview, referring to a song she released in 1976. "I sang like 'Darn right it's good, you better knock on wood'; I could not sing 'Damn right it's good.' And I still can hardly say it. It ain't me!" Advertisement She met George McCrae in 1963, when he was stationed in Pensacola with the Navy. They married soon after, and they began singing together once he left the service in 1967. She leaves two daughters from her marriage to McCrae: Sophia and Leah; a daughter from a previous relationship, Wanda; a son from a later relationship, Alex; 12 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. Although 'Funky Sensation' was her last hit in the United States, Ms. McCrae continued to make music and to draw a dedicated following for her live performances, both at home and in Europe. In 2004, she released a gospel album, "I'm Not Worried." Two years later, she worked once more with Stone, recording an album of standards from the TK Records catalog, "Gwen McCrae Sings TK." Although she claimed Florida as her primary residence, she toured Europe extensively. She stopped in 2012, when a stroke after a concert in England left her paralyzed on the left side of her body. This article originally appeared in
New York Times
08-03-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Gwen McCrae, Singer Who Helped Open the Dance Floor to Disco, Dies at 81
Gwen McCrae, whose gospel-infused R&B hits of the early 1970s like 'Lead Me On' and 'Rockin' Chair' featured bouncing, dance-floor-friendly grooves that helped open the door to disco, died on Feb. 21 in Miami. She was 81. Her former husband and frequent singing partner, George McCrae, said she died in a care facility from complications of a stroke she had in 2012. Though she had her share of nationwide hits, Ms. McCrae was best known on the music scene in the Miami area, where her upbeat R&B fit perfectly with the hot nights and subtropical vibe. She released most of her best-known songs through TK Records, a regional powerhouse founded by Henry Stone that counted other proto-disco acts, like Betty Wright and KC and the Sunshine Band, among its stable. She began performing with Mr. McCrae as a duo. They recorded their own albums, sang backup on others and carved a presence for themselves in the clubs of South Florida. They also performed separately, and Ms. McCrae's repertoire was not limited to dance songs. On her own, she was the first person to release a version of the ballad 'You Were Always on My Mind,' in 1972; sometimes shortened to 'Always on My Mind,' it was later recorded by the likes of Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson and the Pet Shop Boys. 'She was an amazing talent,' Harry Wayne Casey, a songwriter at TK Records and the lead singer of KC and the Sunshine Band, said in an interview. 'She had one of the most soulful voices I've ever heard.' After the worldwide success of Mr. McCrae's signature hit, 'Rock Your Baby,' in 1974, Ms. McCrae recorded her own hit the next year: 'Rockin' Chair,' a sensual, swinging tune that topped the Billboard R&B chart and reached No. 9 on the Hot 100 pop chart. There was some dispute over how the two came to record their respective songs. Ms. McCrae later said that Mr. Casey and Richard Finch had written 'Rock Your Baby' for her, but that she had given it to her husband to help his career — and then asked for her own hit song once his went big. But Mr. McCrae had a different spin: Their marriage was on the rocks, he said, and she had given him 'Rock Your Baby' in a bid to keep them together. Regardless, their marriage did not last. They divorced a year later. After TK Records closed in 1981, she moved to New York City and signed with Atlantic, where she had a minor hit with 'Funky Sensation' in 1981 and recorded two albums. Though her career had begun to slow in the post-disco era, she found a new fan base in Europe, especially in Britain, where the discovery of classic American soul — sometimes called 'rare groove' — was underway in the 1980s. She recorded new songs and rerecorded old ones for regional markets, and she found a steady stream of singing gigs over the next few decades. D.J.s and hip-hop artists sampled her songs. She became known as the 'queen of rare groove' across Britain and Europe. 'When I went overseas, I didn't know people loved me so much. They really loved my old stuff,' she said in a 1996 interview with a Swedish journalist, adding, 'Yeah, I was shocked!' Gwendolyn Patricia Mosley was born on Dec. 21, 1943, in Pensacola, Fla. Her father, Aaron, died when she was young, and she was raised by her mother, Winnie (Lee) Mosley. She began singing gospel songs in church and aspired to make religious singing her career. Even later in her career, when she was belting out disco tracks filled with double entendres, she found it uncomfortable to be too explicit. 'I had the worst time singing 'Damn Right It's Good,'' she told Ms. Granditsky, referring to a song she released in 1976. 'I sang like 'Darn right it's good, you better knock on wood'; I could not sing 'Damn right it's good.' And I still can hardly say it. It ain't me!' She met George McCrae in 1963, when he was stationed in Pensacola with the U.S. Navy. They married soon after, and they began singing together once he left the service in 1967. She is survived by two daughters from her marriage to Mr. McCrae, Sophia and Leah; a daughter from a previous relationship, Wanda; a son from a later relationship, Alex; 12 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. Although 'Funky Sensation' was her last hit in the United States, Ms. McCrae continued to make music, and to draw a dedicated following for her live performances, both at home and in Europe. In 2004 she released a gospel album, 'I'm Not Worried.' Two years later she worked once more with Mr. Stone, recording an album of standards from the TK Records catalog, 'Gwen McCrae Sings TK.' Though she claimed Florida as her primary residence, she toured Europe extensively. She finally stopped in 2012, when a stroke after a concert in England left her paralyzed on the left side of her body.
The Guardian
22-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The late Gwen McCrae brought emotion to dance music like no one else
Rockin' Chair, 90% of Me Is You, All This Love That I'm Givin', Keep the Fire Burning, Funky Sensation – Gwen McCrae, who has died after a long illness aged 81, sang all these soul-funk anthems and more. Songs that refreshed radio, songs and lit up discos and clubs, songs that saw her called 'The Queen of Rare Groove', songs that were covered and sampled and sound as fresh today as when she originally recorded them in Miami in the 1970s and early 80s. Gwen Mosley was born in Pensacola, Florida, and grew up singing in church before marrying a sailor she met a week previously when he was on shore leave. Her new husband, free from the navy, insisted they form the duo George & Gwen McCrae in 1963, with Gwen out front. Betty Wright, then a 14-year-old vocal prodigy, brought the couple to soul singer and label owner Steve Alaimo in 1967, who signed them to Alston Records. After the duo's singles sold only moderately, Gwen signed to Columbia to perform deep southern soul but, when sales flagged again, she returned to Alston and began recording the lighter, more dance-oriented 'Miami sound' then fermenting in the city's TK Studios. George McCrae would launch the Miami sound worldwide with his 1974 UK No 1 Rock Your Baby – written by KC and the Sunshine Band's Harry Wayne Casey (KC) and Richard Finch for Gwen. Gwen's account was that she wanted to help out George, whose recording career had dwindled as he supported hers, and told KC they could give him a song – and Alaimo picked out Rock Your Baby. 'I thought: 'Not that one, you dummy!'', she later said. By 1976, her marriage had badly soured. 'You know when you're hurting when someone's hurting you, you just can't do nothing,' she said. 'You feel helpless.' She would also refer to George as a mere 'sperm donor' for their children. But through her heartache, working closely with Wright, KC, Willie 'Little Beaver' Hale, Clarence Reid and Willie Clarke, Gwen cut a sublime run of 45s. Her powerful, throaty voice backed by Little Beaver's chiming, funky guitar licks and TK's effervescent house band (which could include Timmy 'Why Can't We Live Together' Thomas), made for dance music with emotional depth. Rockin' Chair, with its propulsive groove and McCrae's caressing vocal, crossed over to No 9 in the pop charts – her biggest hit. The emotive, distinctive 90% of Me Is You and All This Love That I'm Givin' – later sampled to hit-making effect by French dance duo Cassius – are also landmark recordings. After TK and its associated label crashed in 1981 – co-owner Henry Stone claimed the disco backlash undermined his labels and led to banks refusing to extend his loans – Gwen signed to Atlantic. Her last US chart placing was Funky Sensation in 1981 – a meagre No 60 on the R&B charts – yet she found a new lease of life when invited to Britain in the mid-1980s, where she was idolised by rare groove fans and became an in-demand live performer. Later albums for small UK and US labels demonstrated McCrae's striking voice had lost none of its sparkle, but she never again troubled the charts. Beyond her legion of loyal British soul boys and girls, McCrae never won the wider recognition she deserved. TK's back catalogue was not well-served for decades – Stone's bankruptcy meant he lost control of it – and McCrae would, alongside other Black artists that recorded for the label, complain they were never properly remunerated. The Miami sound has also rarely received the attention from music historians and collectors that Detroit's Motown and Memphis's Stax and Hi labels have. Why? Possibly because TK's biggest artist, KC and the Sunshine Band, sold millions of records to pop fans. Or the Miami sound got disparaged as 'disco' when that genre was widely regarded as déclassé by gatekeepers. Alaimo's death last November received dismayingly little attention. Things may now be changing, with British label Soul Jazz's Miami Sound albums Volumes 1 & 2 being well-received and containing McCrae tunes – a snippet of a discography charged with pain and wonder in equal measure. 'The only time I'm really happy is when I'm on that stage, in front of my audience,' McCrae said in 1997. 'Then I'm the happiest woman in the world.'
