Gwen McCrae

First coming to attention in a duo with her husband George, Gwen McCrae went on to solo success, notably with her 1975 smash Rockin' Chair, which sold over 3 million and earned three Grammy Award nominations. Born in Pensacola (Florida) on December 21, 1943, the youngest of five children, Gwen grew up singing in a Pentecostal church and, as a teenager, sang in clubs with groups like the Lafayettes and the Independents. In 1963 she started performing with her husband George, and the duo were discovered by the singer Betty Wright and recorded their first single together, "Three Hearts in a Tangle", in 1969. As other singles followed, Gwen built a parallel career as a session singer and had her first solo success in 1970 with her cover of Bobby Bland's "Lead Me On". She followed it with "For Your Love" and, when George McCrae struck it big with his single "Rock Your Baby", Gwen matched his success with "Rockin' Chair", a Number 1 R&B hit. When the McCraes split in 1976, she maintained her solo career with "Funky Sensation" and "Do You Know What I Mean" and remained a popular touring act, particularly in the UK. She was back in vogue in 1999 when French house duo Cassius sampled her vocals from "All This Love That I'm Giving" on their hit "Feeling For You", released her first gospel album in 2004 and was sampled again by DJ/producer Madlib in 2008 on "Gamble on Ya Boy". She was back again in 2010 with the single "Now I Found Love". In 2012, after performing in England, McCrae had a stroke which resulted in paralysis on the left side of her body and the inability to walk. On February 21, 2025, Gwen McCrae died at the age of 81.