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G.C. Cameron | |
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| Birth name | George Curtis Cameron |
| Born | September 21, 1945 McCall Creek, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
George Curtis Cameron is an American soul and R&B singer perhaps best known as the lead singer of The Spinners on their 1970 hit "It's a Shame" and for his 1975 hit "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday". Cameron is credited with having "six different voices."
After serving in the Vietnam War with the Marines, Cameron joined Motown act The Spinners as lead singer [1] (though original lead singer Bobby Smith also retained his lead position). He sang both lead parts on their first big hit, 1970's "It's a Shame", co-written and produced by Stevie Wonder. [1] However, when The Spinners left Motown the following year, Cameron remained with Motown as a solo artist. [1]
Cameron rejoined The Spinners in 2000, after then-current frontman John Edwards suffered a stroke. He remained with The Spinners well into the early 2000s, during which time he appeared with them on a PBS music special, singing his 1970 hit "It's A Shame", before leaving again to join The Temptations in 2003. [2]
Releasing several solo singles in the early 1970s, he became known for his ability to sound like other artists, such as Smokey Robinson on his song "(Don't Wanna) Play Pajama Games", Curtis Mayfield on "No Matter Where" and The Isley Brothers on his duet with Willie Hutch "Come Get This Thang". Although Cameron was not a major-seller for the label, he did have a hit with "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday", the theme song of the 1975 film Cooley High , which was later covered by Boyz II Men.
Cameron left Motown after the 1970s, and toured as an independent artist. [1] He recorded a critically acclaimed album for Malaco Records in 1983 and his career was revived in 1989 by recordings for British record companies Ardent (owned at the time by Paul Mooney) and Motorcity (owned by Ian Levine). [1] He also recorded another solo album titled Shadows. Shadows was co-produced by Ben Obi of Savannah Street Music.
G.C. Cameron left the group in June 2007 to focus on his solo career.
On Saturday, May 17, 2008, Cameron made a special guest appearance at a benefit concert for Hold on to Education Foundation Inc. in South Jersey. [3] He received proclamations from New Jersey State Senator Diane Allen; and Mayor Jacqueline Jennings, with Councilman Eddie Campbell Jr. of Willingboro, New Jersey. Cherry Hill High School West Acappella vocal group Men of Note and Ms. Marilyn Marshall paid tribute to Cameron in honor of his contribution to American Popular Music and his dedication to youth education. In late 2008, he appeared on the PBS special Love Train: The Sound of Philadelphia, singing The Spinners' hit "The Rubberband Man". [4] [5]
In 2008, G.C. Cameron began working with reggae band Dub Nation on their album Rising Force For Change. Released in early 2012, the album features reggae renditions of Cameron's hits "It's A Shame" and "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" as well as a collection of new songs. [6]
In 2009, G.C. Cameron released the album Enticed Ecstasy.
The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s to mid 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top 10 hit single "Cloud Nine" in October 1968, pioneered psychedelic soul, and was significant in the evolution of R&B and soul music. The band members are known for their choreography, distinct harmonies, and dress style. Having sold tens of millions of albums, the Temptations are among the most successful groups in popular music.
William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. He was the founder and frontman of the pioneering Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chief songwriter and producer. He led the group from its 1955 origins, when they were called The Five Chimes, until 1972, when he retired from the group to focus on his role as Motown Records vice president. Robinson returned to the music industry as a solo artist the following year. He left Motown in 1999.
Boyz II Men is an American vocal harmony group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. Formed in 1985, they have been a trio composed of baritone Nathan Morris alongside tenors Wanyá Morris and Shawn Stockman since 2003. During the 1990s, Boyz II Men was a quartet with bass singer Michael McCary, who left the group in 2003 due to health issues that were diagnosed as multiple sclerosis.
Jimmy Lee Ruffin was an American soul singer, and the older brother of David Ruffin, the lead singer of the Temptations. He had several hit records between the 1960s and 1980s, the most successful being the Top 10 hits "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" and "Hold On ".
The Spinners are an American rhythm and blues vocal group that formed in Ferndale, Michigan in 1954. They enjoyed a string of hit singles and albums during the 1960s and 1970s, particularly with producer Thom Bell. The group continues to tour, without any original members, after Henry Fambrough retired in 2023.
Syreeta Wright, who recorded professionally under the mononym Syreeta, was an American singer-songwriter, best known for her music during the early 1970s through the early 1980s. Wright's career heights were songs in collaboration with her ex-husband Stevie Wonder and musical artist Billy Preston.
Frederick James Perren was an American songwriter, record producer, arranger, and orchestra conductor. He co-wrote and co-produced songs including "Boogie Fever" by the Sylvers, "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor, and "Shake Your Groove Thing" by Peaches & Herb.
Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever is a 1983 television special, produced by Suzanne de Passe for Motown, to commemorate Motown's 25th anniversary. The program was taped before a live audience at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California on March 25, 1983, and broadcast on NBC on May 16. Among its highlights were Michael Jackson's performance of "Billie Jean", Smokey Robinson's reunion with the Miracles, a Temptations / Four Tops "battle of the bands", Marvin Gaye's inspired speech about black music history and his memorable performance of "What's Going On", a Jackson 5 reunion, and an abbreviated reunion of Diana Ross & the Supremes, who performed their final #1 hit, "Someday We'll Be Together" from 1969. The show was co-written by de Passe with Ruth Adkins Robinson, who would go on to write shows with de Passe for the next 25 years, including the follow-up label tributes—through "Motown 40", Buz Kohan was the head writer.
"Never Can Say Goodbye" is a song written by Clifton Davis and originally recorded by the Jackson 5. The song was originally written and intended for the Supremes; however, Motown decided it would be better for the Jackson 5. It was the first single released from the group's 1971 album Maybe Tomorrow, and was one of the group's most successful records. It has been covered numerous times, most notably in 1974 by Gloria Gaynor and in 1987 by British pop group the Communards.
"What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" is a hit single recorded by Jimmy Ruffin and released on Motown Records' Soul label in the summer of 1966. It is a ballad, with lead singer Jimmy Ruffin recalling the pain that befalls the broken-hearted who had love that's now departed. The song essentially deals with the struggle to overcome sadness while seeking a new relationship after a breakup.
"It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" is an R&B song written by Motown husband-and-wife songwriting team Freddie Perren and Christine Yarian for the 1975 film Cooley High. In the film, the song is performed by Motown artist G.C. Cameron, whose rendition peaked at number 38 on the Billboard R&B singles chart that same year. Perren also composed the instrumental score for Cooley High, and the B-side to "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" features two of his score compositions from the film.
William Henderson was an American singer, best known for being an original member and founder of The Spinners, a soul vocal group.
Robert Steel Smith, professionally known as Bobby Smith, also spelled Bobbie, was an American R&B singer notable as the principal lead singer of the classic Motown/Philly group, The Spinners, throughout its history. He was the principal lead singer from its formation in 1954 when he was eighteen, until his death in 2013.
One to One is the third studio album released by American R&B singer and songwriter Syreeta Wright in February 1977 by Motown. It serves as her first album Wright released where former husband Stevie Wonder did not oversee most of its production, instead only being involved with the song "Harmour Love", which was released as a single.
Gwen Fuqua was an American businesswoman, songwriter and composer, most notably writing hit songs such as "Lonely Teardrops", "All I Could Do Was Cry" and "Distant Lover". She acquired her full name after marrying Harvey Fuqua and kept the name after their divorce.
"It's a Shame" is a song co-written by Stevie Wonder, Syreeta Wright and Lee Garrett and produced by Wonder as a single for the Spinners on Motown's V.I.P. Records label. The single became the Detroit-reared group's biggest single on the Motown Records company since they had signed with the company in 1964 and also their biggest hit in a decade.
Gerald Alston is an American soul/R&B singer, and the lead singer of the Grammy Award winning group The Manhattans between late 1970 and 1988, recording 25 top 40 R&B and 12 Hot 100 Pop Singles. Alston was lead singer on their most successful 1976 Platinum song "Kiss and Say Goodbye", which topped all U.S. pop and R&B charts and was number one in four countries. Alston left the group in 1988 to pursue a solo career and recorded five albums and ten singles, including the hit singles "Take Me Where You Want To", "Slow Motion" and "Getting Back into Love", he also recorded a remake of Atlantic Starr's "Send for Me", most of which was for Motown Records.
"Yester Love" was a 1968 song by Motown Records R&B group The Miracles on its Tamla subsidiary label. It was recorded on December 18, 1967, and was included on the group's album, Special Occasion.
2nd Time Around is a studio album recorded by American R&B group The Spinners, released in October 1970 on Motown's V.I.P. label. This is their only album with G. C. Cameron. This is also the group's last album made while they were under contract with Motown Records; by the time of their next album, they had signed at Atlantic Records.
"Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music" is a 1967 song co-written by Richard Drapkin and Marty Coleman. In 1968 it was assigned to Artie Fields' Top Dog label in Detroit and issued as a 45 by rhythm and blues singer Joe Towns.
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