Singer on Good Times, You Are the Sunshine of My Life
The Hollywood Reporter • • entertainment
Key Points:
- James “Jim” Gilstrap, known for singing the Good Times theme song and contributing vocals to Stevie Wonder’s “You Are the Sunshine of My Life,” has died at age 79 from natural causes.
- Gilstrap was a featured vocalist with Stevie Wonder’s Wonderlove and sang the opening lines of the Grammy-winning song “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” from the 1972 album Talking Book.
- In 1975, he released the single “Swing Your Daddy,” which reached No. 4 on the U.K. Singles Chart and No. 10 on the U.S. Billboard Black Singles chart, followed by the 1976 album Love Talk.
- Throughout his career, Gilstrap collaborated with numerous music legends including Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, and Patti LaBelle, earning respect as a powerful and soulful session vocalist.
- Born November 10, 1946, Gilstrap was the last surviving of 10 siblings and is survived by his wife Gloria and children.
