Jimmy Gilstrap, R&B singer who performed ‘Good Times’ theme song, dies at 79

Jimmy Gilstrap, an R&B singer who performed the “Good Times” theme song for the 1970s sitcom, collaborated with Stevie Wonder and had a 1975 hit, “Swing Your Daddy,” died on July 18. He was 79.

Gilstrap’s nephew and family spokesperson, Geoffrey Gilstrap, said the singer died from natural causes, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“To the world, Jim Gilstrap was a legendary voice. To us, he was simply Uncle James -- a beloved husband, uncle, mentor and friend,” Geoffrey Gilstrap said in a statement to Billboard. “No matter how far his incredible talent took him, he never forgot his roots, his family or the values that shaped him.”

Gilstrap was a co-singer with Blinky Williams for the theme song from “Good Times,” the comedy TV series that ran from 1974 to 1979.

Gilstrap’s tenor could be heard on the line, “temporary layoffs,” in the gospel-sounding tune, according to Billboard.

Gilstrap was a featured vocalist with Stevie Wonder’s Wonderlove and sang the first two lines of the singer’s Grammy Award-winning song, “You Are the Sunshine of My Life,” the entertainment news outlet reported. He also sang backup on the song with Lani Groves.

Gilstrap was born on Nov. 10, 1946, in Texas, according to Billboard. He joined Wonder’s backing vocalist group in the 1970s after serving in the military and working with other artists.

In addition to singing on “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” from the “Talking Book” album, Gilstrap also worked with Wonder on the albums “Wonderlove” and “Innervisions,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.

In 1975, Gilstrap signed with Chelsea Records and released a single, “Swing Your Daddy,” according to Billboard. The song peaked at No. 4 on the U.K. singles chart and No. 10 on the U.S. Billboard Black singles chart. Gilstrap also released an album, “Love Talk,” in 1976.

Gilstrap was a notable session musician, USA Today reported. He worked with Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, Elton John, Jose Feliciano and Harry Styles, according to the newspaper.

Wonder told USA Today on Monday that Gilstrap’s voice was “warm” and that he played a key role in “You Are the Sunshine of My Life.”

“He had a very gentle, very smooth kind of voice, but he had his own definite sound,” Wonder told the newspaper. “He will always be a part of this song in my career that I wrote, and the song was obviously very special to me.

“And it was at a time when that energy, that spirit of love that I was exploring ever so incredibly, he and (Groves) started that song off. And so, that will forever be a part of that ‘Sunshine of My Life’ that I won’t ever forget.”

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