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Jim Gilstrap, longtime Stevie Wonder collaborator, dead at 79

Jami Ganz, New York Daily News on

Published in Entertainment News

Singer Jim Gilstrap, who lent his voice to the “Good Times” theme song and collaborated with Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Aretha Franklin, has died. He was 79.

Gilstrap died of natural causes Saturday in Los Angeles, according to a statement his nephew, Geoffrey Gilstrap, provided to multiple outlets. A cause of death was not specified.

“To the world, Jim Gilstrap was a legendary voice. To us, he was simply Uncle James— a beloved husband, uncle, mentor and friend,” said Geoffrey. “No matter how far his incredible talent took him, he never forgot his roots, his family or the values that shaped him. As kids, all of us nieces and nephews proudly bragged to classmates that our Uncle Jim was the voice behind the ‘temporary layoffs’ line from ‘Good Times.’ Then we’d remind them that he also sang on ‘You Are the Sunshine of My Life.'”

That Grammy-winning 1972 Stevie Wonder hit opens with Gilstrap’s voice. At the time, he was a featured vocalist in 76-year-old Wonder’s backing band, Wonderlove. He worked on a total of three Wonder albums, 1972’s “Talking Book,” “Wonderlove,” and “Innervisions.”

Two years later, Gilstrap could be heard on the theme for “Good Times,” which aired from 1974 to 1979.

Geoffrey said that his uncle “was one of the most respected session vocalists of his generation” and “helped define the sound of popular music.”

 

“Beyond the music,” he said, Gilstrap’s loved ones will remember his “kindness, humility, humor, generosity and, of course, his homemade sweet potato pies that brought our family together.”

On the solo front, Gilstrap found success with his 1975 album, “Swing Your Daddy,” which included the title single and “I’m on Fire.” The former hit No. 4 on the U.K. Singles chart. The following year, he released the album “Love Talk.”

Wonder, Jackson and Franklin were far from Gilstrap’s only notable collaborators, which also included Anita Baker, Whitney Houston, Quincy Jones, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, Kenny Loggins, Dolly Parton, Bill Withers and more.

Gilstrap was one of 10 children, all of whom preceded him in death. He is survived by his wife Gloria, his children and grandchildren.

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