Gwen Dickey | |
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Background information | |
Also known as | Rose Norwalt |
Born | Biloxi, Mississippi, U.S. | December 1, 1953
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Occupations |
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Instrument |
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Years active | 1973–present |
Labels | Whitfield |
Member of | Rose Royce |
Gwen Dickey (born December 1, 1953) is an American musician. She i best known as the lead singer of the R&B band Rose Royce, where she performed under the name Rose Norwalt. Notable songs from the group include "Car Wash" and "Wishing on a Star". In 1976, their US Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "Car Wash" brought Dickey and the band acclaim and success. After leaving the band in 1980, Dickey moved to the United Kingdom, where she continued a solo career. [1]
Gwen Dickey formed her own version of Rose Royce in 2017 - Gwen Dickey's Rose Royce and in 2021 and 2022 toured the UK nationally. In 2022 Gwen featured on the Giants of Soul Tour - taking in 15 UK venues performing with Deniece Williams, Alexander O'Neal, Tunde (Lighthouse Family) and Jaki Graham. [2] In 2023 Gwen Dickey's Rose Royce headlined at The London Palladium.
In 2024 Dickey released the EP “This is Gwen Dickey”, [3] [ better source needed ] featuring four tracks. [4] The EP is a collaboration with producer, songwriter, and guitarist Eric Jackson (who has worked with artists like Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Usher, and Robin Thicke) and songwriter/producer Robert Elijah Storm Daniels (whose credits include Usher, Mary J. Blige, Robin Thicke, and Lil Wayne).
In 2010, Dickey experienced a spinal cord injury in her London home, leaving her reliant on a wheelchair. As of 2022, she still performed concerts while seated on stage. [5]
(Albums featuring Gwen Dickey)
James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III and Terry Steven Lewis are an American R&B/pop songwriting and record production team. Their productions have received commercial success since the 1980s with various artists, most extensively Janet Jackson. They have written 31 top ten hits in the UK and 41 in the US. In 2022, the duo were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Musical Excellence category.
Rose Royce is an American soul and R&B group. They are best known for several hit singles during the 1970s including "Car Wash", "I Wanna Get Next to You", "I'm Going Down", "Wishing on a Star", and "Love Don't Live Here Anymore".
Norman Jesse Whitfield was an American songwriter and producer, who worked with Berry Gordy's Motown labels during the 1960s. He has been credited as one of the creators of the Motown Sound and of the late-1960s subgenre of psychedelic soul.
"Got to Give It Up" is a song by American music artist Marvin Gaye. Written by the singer and produced by Art Stewart as a response to a request from Gaye's record label that he perform disco music, it was released in March 1977.
Robin Alan Thicke is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. His 2013 single "Blurred Lines" is one of the best-selling singles of all time. At the 56th Annual Grammy Awards, he received two nominations for Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
"Car Wash" is a song by the American soul and R&B band Rose Royce. Written and arranged by the ex-Motown producer Norman Whitfield, the song was the group's first single and one of the most notable successes of the 1970s disco era. "Car Wash", the theme of the 1976 film Car Wash, was Rose Royce's most successful single and the lead single from their first studio album, the Car Wash soundtrack. Reaching number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Soul Singles charts, "Car Wash" also peaked at number three on the National Disco Action Top 30 chart and reached number nine on the UK Singles Chart in February 1977. The song was covered in 2004 by Christina Aguilera and Missy Elliott, who released their version as the single for the Shark Tale soundtrack.
"Love Don't Live Here Anymore" is a song written by Miles Gregory and originally recorded by Rose Royce. It was produced by former Motown songwriter and producer Norman Whitfield for Whitfield Records. Lead vocals were sung by Gwen Dickey and the song was released as the second single from their third studio album Strikes Again. The song was developed as a result of producer Whitfield's interest to work with Paul Buckmaster, the British arranger and composer. Together they asked songwriter Miles Gregory to write a song for them. Gregory's undergoing medical care for his deteriorating physical health became the inspiration behind the song. "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" incorporated the use of the Pollard Syndrum TwinDrum, and was one of the first songs to effectively use the sound reverbs of the instrument. The song was mainly recorded at music contractor Gene Bianco's house, where Dickey was present during the recording.
"Wishing on a Star" is a ballad first recorded by American soul and R&B group Rose Royce. It was written by former Undisputed Truth member Billie Rae Calvin, and produced by Norman Whitfield. The song was originally offered to Barbra Streisand for an album project but she declined. It was first released as a single by Rose Royce in 1977 and has since been recorded by numerous acts including the Cover Girls in 1992, Jay-Z in 1998, Beyonce in 2005, and Seal in 2011. 21 Savage used a sample of the original 1977 version for his hit All of Me, which was released on his 2024 album American Dream, and used earlier in the trailer for his debut film, American Dream: The 21 Savage Story
"Frontin'" is the debut single by American singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams featuring American rapper Jay-Z. It was written by the artists alongside Chad Hugo, who produced it with Williams as the Neptunes. At the time of its release, Williams insisted the single was a one-off, and that he was purely a producer and not an artist in his own right. However, he released his own solo studio album, In My Mind, in 2006.
"I'm Going Down" is a song written and produced by Norman Whitfield, and performed by American soul and R&B group Rose Royce in 1976. It is from the film Car Wash and is featured on its soundtrack. In 1994, it was covered by American singer Mary J. Blige.
Car Wash: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is a soundtrack double album released by the funk band Rose Royce on the MCA label in September 1976. It was produced by Norman Whitfield. It is the soundtrack/film score to the 1976 hit comedy Car Wash that featured Richard Pryor and George Carlin and is also the debut album for Rose Royce.
"I Wanna Get Next to You" is a 1976 soul single written, composed and produced by American songwriter and producer Norman Whitfield, and most famously sung by American R&B band Rose Royce. It is the third official single from the Car Wash soundtrack. The song has also become a staple on oldies radio and on adult contemporary stations.
Sex Therapy: The Session is the fourth studio album by American R&B recording artist Robin Thicke, released December 15, 2009 on Star Trak Entertainment in the United States. Sex Therapy also features guest contributions by Jay-Z, Game, Kid Cudi, Snoop Dogg, Nicki Minaj and Estelle. The album debuted at number 9 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 123,000 copies in its first week. Upon its release, Sex Therapy received generally positive reviews from music critics.
"Fall Again" is a song written for Michael Jackson by Walter Afanasieff and Robin Thicke with some lyrics written by Jackson. He recorded his demo of the song in 1999. Songwriter Afanasieff confirmed in January 2000, "We worked to the point that we were three-fourths of the way finished, then the incident happened when his son (Prince) got very sick. We’re going to have to reserve a little spot to finish the song." The demo was later released on November 16, 2004, as an album track of Jackson's limited edition box set The Ultimate Collection. In 2010, a version by Kenny G with Robin Thicke on vocals became a hit. The song has been performed by many artists. Jackson recorded a demo of the song in 1999 during the sessions for his album Invincible, but the song was never finished.
Lisa Taylor is an American R&B singer. She is best known for her solo album Secrets of the Heart, including the R&B singles "Did You Pray Today?" (#40) and "Secrets of the Heart" (#41), "Don’t Waste My Time" from The Meteor Man soundtrack, and for singing as a featured and background vocalist for artists including Burt Bacharach, Janet Jackson, Philip Bailey, Patti LaBelle, and Elvis Costello, among others.
Strikes Again is the third album by funk band Rose Royce. It was released on the Whitfield label in August 1978. It was produced by Norman Whitfield.
Rainbow Connection IV is the fourth album by the funk band Rose Royce, released on the Whitfield label in 1979. It was produced by Norman Whitfield. This would be the last album to include lead singer Gwen Dickey before she left the group to embark on a solo career.
Nikki Leonti-Edgar is an American singer-songwriter. Prior to her work in urban, R&B, and electronic dance music, Leonti recorded contemporary Christian music albums. She lent her vocals to over 250 songs during 4 seasons of the musical comedy-drama television series Glee.
"Blurred Lines" is a song by American singer Robin Thicke featuring rapper T.I. and singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams from Thicke's sixth studio album, Blurred Lines (2013). Solely produced by Williams, it was released as the album's lead single in 2013, through Star Trak Recordings and Interscope Records. Thicke has said that the song's lyrics are about his then-wife Paula Patton. Musically, "Blurred Lines" is an R&B and pop track with instrumentation consisting of bass guitar, drums, and percussion.
"Give It 2 U" is a song by American singer-songwriter Robin Thicke from his sixth studio album, Blurred Lines (2013). It was written and produced by Dr. Luke and Cirkut, with additional writing by Thicke, the featured artist Kendrick Lamar, and will.i.am. Originally titled "Give It to Me", a demo version of the song premiered on the radio show Sway in the Morning on May 2, 2013. Featuring guest vocals from Lamar, it was released as the third single from the album on August 27, 2013. "Give It 2 U" is an uptempo hip hop and electropop song with elements of dubstep. Lyrically, Thicke sings about sexually pleasing a partner.