Jim Gilstrap


James Earl Gilstrap is an American singer and regarded as one of the most prolific session musicians in the industry. He is best known for his 1975 solo hit single "Swing Your Daddy", as well as singing co-lead to the theme from the TV series Good Times.

Career

Gilstrap was born November 10, 1946, in Daingerfield,Texas to Jodie and Pearlie Mae Gilstrap. He joined the U.S. Navy Reserve. He began his career in the music industry when he returned from serving in the Vietnam War. Early groups he worked with include the Doodletown Pipers and The Cultures.
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". He subsequently signed a recording contract with Chelsea Records in 1975. His recording of the Kenny Nolan-penned "Swing Your Daddy" was a #4 hit in the UK Singles Chart in April 1975, and reached #10 in the U.S. Billboard Black Singles chart.
Gilstrap also recorded two albums of his own during the 1970s. The first, titled Swing Your Daddy, contained three more singles in "I'm on Fire", "House of Strangers" and "Put Out the Fire". The second album, Love Talk, was not as successful.
He worked as a session artist for the UK singer Elkie Brooks on her album Live and Learn, among other performances.
He can be heard in a vocal performance on Quincy Jones' 1974 jazz-funk composition "Soul Saga ", from Jones' Body Heat album. Gilstrap has also provided the male lead vocals for the theme music to the 1970s television program Good Times.
"I've Got You Where I Want You" was used in the soundtrack of the film Three Days of the Condor. In addition, he sang the theme song for the 1990s cartoon series TaleSpin. More recently he did an original song for the Japanese film Survive Style 5+ entitled "A Lament".
He worked with the group Side Effect on their track "Run, Run, Run" that was released on Bell Records.

Credits

Gilstrap's recording credits include:
Aaron Neville
Adele
Al Jarreau
Al Kooper
Altair All-Star Choir / Jim Gilstrap / Joyce Vincent / Pam Vincent
Amaia Montero
Amy Grant
Andy Griffith
Angela Bofill
Anita Baker
Aretha Franklin
Art Garfunkel
B.B. King
Barbra Streisand
Beau Williams
Bill Medley
Bill Withers
Billy Cobham
Billy Preston / Syreeta
Bob Crewe
Bobby Lyle
Boney James
Booker T. Jones
Boz Scaggs
Brainstorm
Brandon Burrows
Brownie McGhee / Sonny Terry / Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
Bunny Hull
Candi Staton
Carl Anderson
Carrie Lucas
Céline Dion
Christina Ashley
Christopher Franke
Country Joe & Energy Crisis
Country Joe McDonald
Country Joe McDonald / Country Joe & Energy Crisis
Crowded House
D.J. Rogers
Dana Glover
Darlene Koldenhoven
Daryle Chinn
Dave Grusin
Dave Koz
David Foster
David T. Walker
DeBarge
Debra Hurd
Dee Dee Bridgewater
DeLeon
Diana DeGarmo
Dianne Reeves
Dionne Warwick
Dirk Hamilton
Disney
Dolly Parton
Don Davis
Don Grusin
Donald Byrd
Donald Byrd / Donald Byrd and 125th St.
Dr. John
Elaine Norwood
Eleanor
Elkie Brooks
Elton John
England Dan & John Ford Coley
Erich Kunzel
Eros Ramazzotti
Everlast
Franky Perez
Funk
Gene Page
George Benson
George Duke
Gladys Knight
Greg
Hanne Boel
Harold Faltermeyer
Harry Styles
Harvey Mason
Henry Mancini
Herbie Hancock
Hiroshima
House of Pain
Howard Tate
Irene Cara
Irving Fields
Jackson Browne
Jaco Pastorius
James Ingram
James Newton Howard
James Taylor
Jean Carn
Jesse Colin Young
Jim Gilstrap
Joe Cocker
Joe Sample
Joey Lawrence
John Hiatt
John Powell
Johnny Gill
Johnny Gill / Stacy Lattisaw
Johnny Mathis
José Feliciano
June Pointer
Kanye West
Kathy Dalton
Keith Moon
Kelis
Kenny G
Breathless
Breathless/At Last... The Duets Album
Kenny Loggins
Back to Avalon
The Unimaginable Life
Kenny Rankin
Silver Morning
Peaceful: The Best of Kenny Rankin
Kurt Bestor
Sketches
Larry Graham
Fired Up
Leo Sayer
Leon Haywood
Leonard Cohen
Les McCann
Linda Lewis
Woman Overboard
Linda Ronstadt
Lionel Richie
Little Anthony & the Imperials
Livingston Taylor
Luther Vandross
Lynn Ahrens / Stephen Flaherty / David Newman
Marilyn Scott
Marino
Martha Davis
Martha Reeves
Melissa Manchester
Michael Bolton
Michael Jackson
Michael White
Milira
Minnie Riperton
Moogly
Sex & Soul: Mixed by Moog-Ly
Nancy Wilson
Narada Michael Walden
Neil Diamond
Neil Young
Norman Connors
Olivia Newton-John
Over the Rhine
Patrice Rushen
Patrick Doyle
Patti Austin
Patti LaBelle
Paul Williams
Paul Young
Peabo Bryson
Peabo Bryson / Roberta Flack
Peggy Lee
Pharez Whitted
Phyllis Hyman
Praise & Worship
Priscilla Ahn
Pugh Rogefeldt
Quincy Jones
Rachelle Ferrell
Ramsey Lewis
Ray Charles
Ray Simpson
Rick Nelson
Ricky Martin
Vuelve
Ringo Starr
Roberta Flack
Roberto Carlos
Rodney Franklin
Ron Kenoly
Ronnie Foster
Roy Ayers
Russ Freeman
Russell Hitchcock
Russell Hitchcock
Sam Cardon
Innovators
Santana
Spirits Dancing in the Flesh
Sarah Vaughan
Scherrie and Susaye
Seals & Crofts
Side Effect
Siedah Garrett
Stacy Lattisaw
Stanley Clarke
Stanley Clarke / George Duke
Stanley Turrentine
Starship
Stephen Sinclair
Stevie Wonder
Susaye Greene
Syreeta
Teddy Pendergrass
The Blackbyrds
The Brothers Johnson
The Jackson 5
The Jacksons
The Party
The Rippingtons
The Simpsons
Thelma Houston
Tom Scott
Toots Thielemans
Tour De 4force1
Tower of Power
Tracy Nelson
Vanessa Rubin
Wayne Henderson
Whitney Houston
Willy DeVille
Wilton Felder