Gwen McCrae, Music Singer, Funk and Soul that achieved a top 9 success in the United States with ‘Rockin’ Chair ‘, 1975, and that other successes were scored in the pop and R&B lists of the United States and the United Kingdom during The 70 and 80 with ‘Keep The Fire Burning’, ‘90% of Me Is You ‘,’ All This Love That I’M Givin ‘or ‘Funky Sensation’, has died this February 21 at 81 years after a long illness.
McCrae was known as the “Queen of Rare Groove” because his albums, forgotten by the public and turned into “oddities” for collectors, have been very sought after by Record Diggers and sampling, for example, by Cassius, which based their success of 1999 ‘Feeling for You’ in ‘All This Love That I’M Givin’, or Disco, which sampled ‘Funky Sensation’ in 2018.
Initially associated with the TK Records record, McCrae later recorded for others both in the United States and the United Kingdom and was recognized for making warm and deep dance music with emotional lyrics. Born in Pensacola, Florida, McCrae was the person who launched, in 1972, the first version of ‘Always On My Mind’, before Elvis Presley popularized it and later recorded by Willie Nelson and Pet Shop Boys.
McCrae was also married to George McCrae, interpreter of the success of 1974 ‘Rock Your Baby’, the very song that inspired the ‘Dancing Queen’ composition of Abba. Gwen and George married a week and formed a duo during the 60 ‘Chair’ and ‘Rock Your Baby’.
McCrae, who was also very dear to the Northern Soul scene in the United Kingdom, launched his last single, ‘Now I Found Love’, in 2010 and in 2012 he retired from the stage after suffering a stroke.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wj3d1a9gni
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uw_cnavne1q
