James Earl Gilstrap (born November 10, 1946) is an American singer and session musician. He is best known for his 1975 solo hit single "Swing Your Daddy", as well as singing co-lead to the theme from the TV series Good Times.

Career

Gilstrap was born November 10, 1946, in Daingerfield, Texas to Jodie and Pearlie Mae (Tolbert) Gilstrap. He joined the U.S. Navy Reserve. He began his career in the music industry when he returned from serving in the Vietnam War. Early groups he worked with include the Doodletown Pipers and The Cultures. In the early 1970s, Gilstrap was one of the backing vocalists in Stevie Wonder's backing outfit, "Wonderlove", appearing on Wonder's albums, Talking Book and Innervisions. Gilstrap sang the opening two lines of the Wonder song, "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" (with Lani Groves singing the next two lines). He subsequently signed a recording contract with Chelsea Records in 1975. His recording of the Kenny Nolan-penned "Swing Your Daddy" was a number 4 hit in the UK Singles Chart in April 1975, and reached number 10 in the U.S. Billboard Black Singles chart. The song peaked at number 64 in Australia. Gilstrap also recorded two albums of his own during the 1970s. The first, titled Swing Your Daddy, contained three more singles in "I'm on Fire" (covering 5000 Volts; it made number 78 in the U.S.), "House of Strangers" and "Put Out the Fire". The second album, Love Talk (1977), was not as successful. He worked as a session artist for the UK singer Elkie Brooks on her album Live and Learn (1979), among other performances. He can be heard in a vocal performance on Quincy Jones' 1974 jazz-funk composition "Soul Saga (Song Of The Buffalo Soldier)", from Jones' Body Heat album. Gilstrap also provided the male lead vocals for the theme music to the 1970s television program Good Times. "I've Got You Where I Want You" (1975) was used in the soundtrack of the film Three Days of the Condor. In addition, he sang the theme song for the 1990s cartoon series TaleSpin. More recently he did an original song for the Japanese film Survive Style 5+ entitled "A Lament". He worked with the group Side Effect on their track "Run, Run, Run" that was released on Bell Records.

Discography

(with Joyce Vincent Wilson, Pam Vincent, Theresa Davis, and Scherrie Payne of The Supremes)

Credits

Gilstrap's other recording credits include: ** Aaron Neville ** ** Amaia Montero ** ** Amy Grant ** ** Angela Bofill ** ** Anita Baker ** ** Aretha Franklin ** ** Art Garfunkel ** ** Barbra Streisand ** ** Bill Withers ** ** Billy Preston and Syreeta ** ** Boney James ** ** Boz Scaggs ** ** Brainstorm ** ** Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee ** ** Candi Staton ** ** Carl Anderson ** ** Carrie Lucas ** ** Céline Dion ** ** Crowded House ** ** Dana Glover ** ** Dave Grusin ** ** Dave Koz ** ** David Foster ** ** Dee Dee Bridgewater ** ** Diana DeGarmo ** ** Dianne Reeves ** ** Dionne Warwick ** ** Disney ** ** Donald Byrd ** ** Donald Byrd and 125th St. NYC ** ** Dr. John ** ** Elkie Brooks ** ** Elton John ** ** England Dan & John Ford Coley ** ** Erich Kunzel ** ** Eros Ramazzotti ** ** Everlast ** ** Funk ** ** Gene Page ** ** George Benson ** ** George Duke ** ** Gladys Knight ** ** Hanne Boel ** ** Harold Faltermeyer ** ** Harry Styles ** ** Harvey Mason ** ** Henry Mancini ** ** Herbie Hancock ** ** Hiroshima ** ** Irene Cara ** ** Jackson Browne ** ** James Ingram ** ** James Newton Howard ** ** James Taylor ** ** Jean Carn ** ** Joe Cocker ** ** Joe Sample ** ** Joey Lawrence ** ** John Hiatt ** ** John Powell ** ** Johnny Gill ** ** Johnny Gill and Stacy Lattisaw ** ** Johnny Mathis ** ** Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams ** ** José Feliciano ** ** June Pointer ** ** Kanye West ** ** Keith Moon ** ** Kelis ** ** Kenny G ** ** Kenny Loggins ** ** Leo Sayer ** ** Leonard Cohen ** ** Linda Lewis ** ** Linda Ronstadt ** ** Lionel Richie ** ** Livingston Taylor ** ** Luther Vandross ** ** Lynn Ahrens / Stephen Flaherty / David Newman ** ** Martha Davis ** ** Martha Reeves ** ** Melissa Manchester ** ** Michael Bolton ** ** Michael Jackson ** ** Milira ** ** Minnie Riperton ** ** Nancy Wilson ** ** Narada Michael Walden ** ** Neil Diamond ** ** Neil Young ** ** Norman Connors ** ** Olivia Newton-John ** ** Patrice Rushen ** ** Patrick Doyle ** ** Patti Austin ** ** Patti LaBelle ** ** Paul Williams ** ** Paul Young ** ** Peabo Bryson ** ** Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack ** ** Peggy Lee ** ** Phyllis Hyman ** ** Priscilla Ahn ** ** Quincy Jones ** ** Rachelle Ferrell ** ** Ray Charles ** ** Ricky Martin ** ** Ringo Starr ** ** Roberta Flack ** ** Roy Ayers ** ** Russ Freeman and The Rippingtons ** ** Russell Hitchcock ** ** Santana ** ** Sarah Vaughan ** ** Scherrie and Susaye ** ** Seals & Crofts ** ** Siedah Garrett ** ** Stacy Lattisaw ** ** Stanley Clarke ** ** Stanley Clarke and George Duke ** ** Stanley Turrentine ** ** Starship ** ** Stevie Wonder ** ** Syreeta ** ** Teddy Pendergrass ** ** The Blackbyrds ** ** The Brothers Johnson ** ** The Jacksons ** ** The Party ** ** The Rippingtons ** ** The Simpsons ** ** Thelma Houston ** ** Tower of Power ** ** Whitney Houston ** ** Willy DeVille ** ** Willy DeVille & The Mink DeVille Band **