Jim Gilstrap, Singer for Stevie Wonder, ‘Good Times’ Theme, Dead at 79

Jim Gilstrap, the soul and R&B vocalist known for his work with Stevie Wonder, his solo hit “Swing Your Daddy,” and singing the Good Times theme song, has died. He was 79. 

Gilstrap died on July 18 from natural causes, according to a statement from his family. “Beyond the recordings and performances, Jim was admired by his peers for his professionalism, humility, generosity, and genuine love for music,” the statement read. “While many of his greatest contributions happened behind the scenes, his voice became an essential part of the soundtrack of generations.”

After spending the Sixties singing in groups like the Doodletown Pipers and the Cultures, Gilstrap secured a spot in Wonder’s backing band, Wonderlove. He appeared on three of Wonder’s early Seventies records, including two classics, 1972’s Talking Book and 1973’s Innervisions. Gilstrap famously sang the opening lines of Talking Book’s “You Are the Sunshine of My Life,” which went to Number One on the Billboard Hot 100.

Around the same time, Gilstrap launched his own solo career. In 1975, he released “Swing Your Daddy,” a throwback R&B gem that became a Top Five pop hit in the U.K. and cracked the Top 10 of the R&B charts in the U.S. The song anchored Gilstrap’s debut album of the same name, which featured two more well-received singles, “Home of Strangers” and “Put Out the Fire.” 

While Gilstrap released another solo album, 1976’s Love Talk, his career largely settled around session work. During the Seventies and Eighties, he sang backup for some of the biggest artists in the world, including Bill Withers, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Linda Ronstadt, George Benson, Patrice Rushen, Patti LaBelle, and Whitney Houston. Gilstrap worked frequently with Quincy Jones, too, appearing on his many solo albums as well as Michael Jackson’s Jones-produced classic, Off the Wall. 

Demand for Gilstrap never wavered. During the Nineties, he popped up on blockbuster albums by Céline Dion, Michael Bolton, Luther Vandross, Ricky Martin, and Kenny G. And more recently, he sang on Kanye West’s 808s and Heartbreak and Harry Styles’ 2017 self-titled debut, including the hit single, “Sign of the Times.”

Gilstrap also worked extensively in film and television. In 1974, he and Motown vocalist Blinky Williams cut the enduring theme song for the classic sitcom, Good Times. And he was part of the chorus for the soundtrack to hit 1978 movie musical Grease. Gilstrap sang on several Disney albums, contributed vocals to the soundtrack for the animated film Anastasia, and popped up as a singer on several episodes of The Simpsons.