Jim Gilstrap, the powerhouse session singer whose voice helped make the Good Times theme song unforgettable, has died. He was 79.
Gilstrap died of natural causes on Saturday, according to his family.
Although his name may not have been instantly recognizable to every listener, his soulful voice appeared on some of the most memorable recordings of the 1970s. His nephew, Geoff Gilstrap, remembered him as one of the most admired vocalists in the business.
“Jim was one of the most respected session vocalists of his generation, bringing his powerful and soulful voice to countless recordings that helped define the sound of popular music,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.
Gilstrap was perhaps best known for recording the gospel-inspired Good Times theme song alongside singer Blinky Williams. The beloved sitcom, which followed a Black working-class family living in Chicago, aired from 1974 to 1979 and became a landmark television series.
His voice was also heard at the very beginning of Stevie Wonder’s 1972 classic “You Are the Sunshine of My Life.” Gilstrap sang the song’s opening lines before Wonder took over the lead vocals. The hit went on to win a Grammy Award and remains one of Wonder’s best-known recordings.
Gilstrap also performed as a featured vocalist with Wonderlove, Stevie Wonder’s backing group, further cementing his place in one of popular music’s most celebrated eras.
While much of his career was spent supporting other major performers, Gilstrap also found success as a solo artist. His 1975 single “Swing Your Daddy” climbed into the top five on the U.K. charts and reached the top 10 on Billboard’s Black Singles chart.
Born in Texas in 1946, Gilstrap served in the Vietnam War before beginning his professional music career. He went on to build a reputation as a dependable and deeply respected session vocalist whose work reached millions of listeners, even when his name was not printed prominently on the record sleeve.
Gilstrap is survived by his wife, Gloria, and his children.