George McCrae
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| George McCrae | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | George McCrae |
| Born | October 19, 1944 West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Genre(s) | Soul, Disco |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 1969 - present |
| Label(s) | Alston Records TK Records |
| Associated acts | Gwen McCrae KC and the Sunshine Band |
| Website | http://www.georgemccrae.com |
George McCrae (born October 19, 1944, West Palm Beach, Florida) is a soulful disco singer, most famous for his 1974 hit "Rock Your Baby", released on the independent TK Records label based in Hialeah, Florida.
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[edit] Career
McCrae formed his own singing group, the Jivin' Jets, before joining the United States Navy in 1963. Four years later, he reformed the group, with his wife Gwen joining the line-up, but soon afterwards they decided to work as a duo, recording for Henry Stone's Alston record label. Gwen then won a solo contract, with George acting as her manager as well as doing some singing on sessions and in clubs.
He was about to return to college to study law enforcement, when Richard Finch and Harry Wayne Casey of KC and the Sunshine Band invited him to sing the lyrics for a song that they had recorded for the band, but could not reach the high notes that were required for the song. It suited his high-pitched voice to the extent that the song, "Rock Your Baby", became one of the first hits of the disco era in 1974, selling an estimated eleven million copies worldwide[citation needed], topping the charts in the U.S., UK, and over 80 other countries.
The song was so successful that Rolling Stone magazine voted it the #1 song of the year, back in 1974. McCrae received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male R&B Vocalist the following year. Two further single releases, "I Can't Leave You Alone" and "I Get Lifted" also reached the UK Singles Chart Top 10, but he had much less success with follow-ups in the U.S. McCrae also contributed uncredited vocals to KC and the Sunshine Band's hit "Queen of Clubs".
He continued to record with, and manage his wife until their divorce in 1976.[citation needed]
McCrae continued to record and tour through the 1980s in his own right, particularly in Europe where he remained popular.
[edit] Album discography
- Rock Your Baby - 1974
- George McCrae - 1975
- Together Again - 1975
- Diamond Touch - 1976
- We Did It - 1979
- One Step Closer - 1984
- Love's Been Good To Me - 1985
- I Feel Love For You - 1987
- Diamond Collection - 1991
- Golden Classics - 1993
- Music Mirror - 1993
- With All My Heart - 1994
- Do Something - 1995
- Romance - 1996
[edit] See also
- List of soul musicians
- List of disco artists
- List of artists who reached number one in the United States
- List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
- List of performers on Top of the Pops
- List of Identity Parade guests on Never Mind the Buzzcocks
- List of artists who reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart
- List of Epic Records artists
