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Jim Gilstrap

Also known as Gilstrap, James Earl
Born1946-11-10
BirthplacePittsburg
CountryUnited States
GenderMale
10,428Last.fm listeners

Biography

Jim Gilstrap (born James Gilstrap in Daingerfield, Texas, on 10 November 1946; died 18 July 2026) was an American singer and session musicianremembered for his 1975 solo hit single "Swing Your Daddy" and for singing co-lead to the theme from the 1970s US TV series Good Times.

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.

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Gilstrap first came to prominence in the U.K. with his top ten pop hit 'Swing Your Daddy' which reached #4 in 1975, penned by U.K. songwriter Kenny Nolan.

Albums followed but the first single became a hard act to follow and Gilstrap moved into recording with other artists from Stevie Wonder to England Dan and John Ford Coley.

Gilstrap was one of the featured background vocalists on the John Travolta / Olivia Newton John movie soundtrack to the film 'Grease', in 1978.

Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.