Sheri Osborne, wife and manager of Jeffrey Osborne, dies at 69

 

(March 13, 2025) In a year that has brought so much loss in the music world, we’re sad to learn that legendary balladeer Jeffrey Osborne has lost his wife of 42 years, Sheri, at age 69.  Her passing came days before Jeffrey’s 77th birthday, which our founder Chris highlighted in a recent entry.

As a member of LTD and a solo artist, Jeffrey serenaded his way into our hearts with memorable hits like “Love Ballad”, “Concentrate on You”, “On the Wings of Love”, and “You Should Be Mine (The Woo Woo Song).”  The woman who had his heart and his back was Sheri, whom he married in 1983.

Many who knew the Osbornes reacted to Sheri’s passing online, saying she was her husband’s constant companion on the road (known as the “Boss Lady”) and a mother figure to his band members.  One touching reflection came from NBA legend Magic Johnson; he and his wife Cookie were friends with the Osbornes for 40 years.

 

He said Sheri was a high school teacher, using her “giving spirit” to help young people pursue their dreams.  He called her a “smart and driven” woman, who managed her husband’s career.  And as an avid Lakers fan, she ensured that Jeffrey and his band performed at the team’s 2022 Showtime reunion in Hawaii. 

No wonder Sheri meant so much to so many.  Our hearts go out to Jeffrey Osborne and his children – Tiffany, Dawn, Jeanine, and Jeffrey, Jr. – at this difficult time.

What’s truly remarkable is that Jeffrey has continued to perform his previously scheduled concerts despite his recent loss, still giving the same youthful energy as always.  That’s a testament to his showmanship, as he’s no doubt soldiering on in honor of his late wife.

R.I.P. Stedman Pearson of the 80s family group Five Star

(March 13, 2025) He and his sibling were musical royalty around the world in the 1980s, getting teens moving and grooving to their family music. Today we mourn the passing of Stedman Pearson of the group Five Star, who has died at age 60 after a battle with diabetes and kidney disease.

The Pearson family posted the following on social media: “He was a gentleman to the very end – in every way and an amazing son/brother and uncle. May the memories and love he gave to us and the world be our greatest comfort. He will be deeply missed.”

As a key member of the popular UK-based group Five Star (with siblings his siblings Denise, Doris, Lorraine, and Delroy), Stedman Pearson helped define 80s pop/soul with dazzling choreography, futuristic fashion, and, most importantly, a string of infectious hits that ruled both the UK and US charts.

Often referred to as Britain’s answer to The Jacksons, Five Star’s breakthrough came in 1985 with Luxury of Life, a debut album that delivered the Top 10 UK smash “System Addict” and a series of danceable, hook-laden singles. Their sophomore release, the multi-platinum Silk & Steel (1986), solidified Five Star’s status with hits like “Can’t Wait Another Minute,” “Find the Time,” and the chart-topping “Rain or Shine.” Their polished production and slick choreography made them a staple on music television, earning comparisons to the greats of the era.

Through the late ‘80s, Five Star continued their success with albums like Between the Lines (1987) and Rock the World (1988), featuring cuts like “Whenever You’re Ready” and “Another Weekend.” But as musical tastes shifted in the early ‘90s, the group’s popularity waned, and they eventually parted ways with their label.

Five Star came and went over the early 2000s, with Stedman, Lorriane and Denise teaming up for tours and occasional performances. He also pursued solo ventures and television appearances, but for most of us Stedman Pearson will be best remembered as part of a wonderful act that continued the long music tradition of talented family groups.

 

Gwen McCrae (Gwendolyn Patricia McCrae (December 21, 1943 – February 21, 2025)

 

Gwendolyn Patricia McCrae was an American singer, best known for her 1975 hit "Rockin' Chair".^[1] Known in the music industry as the "Queen of Rare Groove", McCrae's gospel, soul, disco and funk vocals have been heavily sampled by industry leaders in dance music including Cassius, Madlib, Lady Gaga, Avicii, Cypress Hill, Mobb Deep amongst others. McCrae had hits in both the U.S.A. and Europe and was particularly successful in Europe. She performed regularly until 2012.

 

Gwendolyn Patricia Mosley was born on December 21, 1943, in Pensacola, Florida, the youngest of five children.^[1][3][4][5] She and her siblings were raised by their mother after the early death of their father.^[5] Mosley began performing in local clubs as a teenager, and singing with local groups like the Lafayettes and the Independents. In 1963, she met a young sailor named George McCrae, whom she married within a week.^[1] The couple had two children together, and she had two children from other relationships.^[5]

Gwen and George McCrae began recording as a duo; the couple got a recording contract with Henry Stone's TK Records.^[1] In 1967, singer Betty Wright helped get them signed to Stone's Alston record label.^[1]

Signed to TK subsidiary Cat, as a solo artist, she found success on the U.S. R&B charts with a cover of Bobby Bland's "Lead Me On" in 1970, followed by "For Your Love".^[1] Following husband George's solo success with "Rock Your Baby", Gwen went on to have a major hit of her own in March 1975 with "Rockin' Chair" which reached number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number one on the R&B chart. The follow-up "Love Insurance" also made the R&B chart (#16).^[1] Music critic Robert Christgau said "Rockin' Chair" is "almost as irresistibly Memphis-cum-disco-with-a-hook as hubby's 'Rock Your Baby.'"^[6]

In 1972, she recorded the song "Always on My Mind". The song was later popularized by Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, and the Pet Shop Boys and also covered by several other artists.

 

After TK Records collapsed, McCrae moved to New Jersey and signed with Atlantic Records, recording two albums and saw one of her singles, "Funky Sensation", reach #22 on the R&B chart in 1981.^[8] In 1982, she had a moderate R&B hit with "Keep the Fire Burning". She continued to record and some of her earlier recordings on the UK's Northern Soul scene maintained her popularity as a live act in Europe.^[1] McCrae moved back to the United States, to Florida, recorded a one-off single for the small Black Jack label in 1984 called "Do You Know What I Mean", and then temporarily retired from the music industry.^[1]

McCrae traveled to the UK to record a couple of singles for Rhythm King Records in 1987.^[1] She also recorded an album for a British label called Homegrown Records in 1996, titled Girlfriend's Boyfriend. Upon returning to the U.S., she signed with the revived Goldwax label, distributed by Ichiban Records, and recorded another album, Psychic Hot Line.^[1]

In 1999, the French house music duo Cassius released the single "Feeling for You", which sampled the vocals of McCrae's "All This Love That I'm Giving". It was a Top 20 hit on the UK Singles Chart.^[9] The track also appeared on Cassius' album, 1999. In 1999, her single "Funky Sensation" was sampled in the German single "Get Up," by DJ Thomilla featuring Afrob. 

 

In 2004, McCrae released her first gospel album. In 2008, rap DJ and producer Madlib released his album, WLIB AM: King of the Wigflip which includes the song "Gamble on Ya Boy", based on a "I Found Love" sample, from McCrae's album, Melody of Life.^{[citation needed]}

In 2005, McCrae teamed up with the Soulpower organization,^[10] which is also responsible for the comebacks of Marva Whitney, Lyn Collins, Martha High, Bobby Byrd and RAMP. Her collaboration with Soulpower resulted in various live performances with the Soulpower All-Stars.^[10]

In 2007, she appeared on several songs on Sounding Rick’s “Living in the Acoustic Projects” and again on his 2009 album “Blabbermouth”.

Gwen McCrae released her latest single "Now I Found Love" in December 2010, released through Plain Truth Entertainment. "Now I Found Love" was mixed and produced by Steve Sola and composed by David Seagal.^{[citation needed]}

In June 2012, after performing on stage in England, she had a stroke which resulted in paralysis on the left side of her body and the inability to walk.^[11][12]

McCrae died at a care home in Miami on February 21, 2025, at the age of 81.

Gwen McCrae Sings TK 2006

 

I'm Not Worried 2004

 

Still Rockin' 1999

 

Girlfriend's Boyfriend 1997

 McCrae's voice is forceful, with some real character, but the production on this album is so high-gloss that any discernable quality is drowned in the mix. A few tunes, like the soulful "Only Takes One Touch" hint at her talents, but overall the whole project is overblown.

Psychic Hotline 1996

 After more than a decade out of the music business spent in the nursing profession, Gwen McCrae is back; with her sinewy vocals and raspy edges she's the perfect candidate for this, her first blues album. She opens up with a rocking juke joint rendition of Solomon Burke's country ballad "Cry to Me," and does a near-exact cover of her hit "Rocking Chair" with only minor changes in the background vocal arrangement. Since this album was recorded at Sam Phillips' studios in Memphis, it's no surprise that the instrumentation is heavy on rhythm and brass; McCrae gives KoKo Taylor and all the other blues queens a run for their money with her lowdown, dirty renditions of hard blues like Mitty Collier's "The Soul of a Man" and Aretha Franklin's "Today, I Sing The Blues." Perhaps the most heartfelt tracks here are the ballads, "Loving Peter to Pay Back Paul" (about loving on the rebound) and "Your Love Keeps Turning Me Around" (about a woman who keeps returning to an abusive man). A welcome return to the music scene.

On My Way 1982

 

Gwen McCrae 1981

 

Melody of Life 1979

 After spending years being produced by some of Miami's finest soul record producers, Gwen McCrae took the inspired step of turning over the production reins to a fellow artist, Betty Wright, on this 1979 album. It was a smart decision, because the album that resulted is tight and tuneful. Melody of Life starts with a bang thanks to "All the Love That I'm Givin'," which bolsters a strong and soulful vocal from McCrae with a thick synthesizer bassline and some effective background vocals on its tag. Though it wasn't a big hit at the time, this became an underground dance favorite that remains popular today. From there on, Melody of Life opts for simple but elegant soul backgrounds to support McCrae's always-impassioned vocals: "I Can Only Think of You" employs gentle strings and a catchy flute hook to back up its tale of yearning for an absent lover, and "The Joy" layers a sprightly horn section over an elastic bass groove to set a joyful mood for its tribute to newfound love. McCrae rises to the occasion with a set of vocals that wring all the emotion out of each lyric: The best example of this technique is "Ease the Pain," a tale of loneliness that climaxes with McCrae letting loose with a multiple-second wail at its finale. The only real drawback to Melody of Life is that, although it has no obvious filler tunes, it is lacking in the kind of strong and unforgettable material that would increase its appeal beyond soul music cultists. That said, Melody of Life remains a solid choice for any fans of '70s soul sounds.

Let's Straighten It Out 1978

 This probably isn't Gwen McCrae's best-selling album, since it doesn't contain her best-selling single, but it's definitely McCrae's most satisfying. She excels on all ends, including the upbeat and midtempo numbers and the smoldering ballads. On the robotic tip there are high scale shufflers like "Cradle of Love," "Love Insurance," the speedy dancer "Early Morning Love," and a good but predictable remake of Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered." The four other selections include three remakes of classic ballads, bested by a chilling rendition of "Let's Straightened It Out," which rivals the original by labelmate Latimore; McCrae makes you think that she's going to have a breakdown before the song ends. She handles Mel & Tim's "Starting All Over Again," adding so much soul and passion that you'd think she wrote the song. She also coughs up a good rendition of "Tonight's the Night" and concludes with the infectious "At Bedtime." If you see this one, snatch it fast; it's worth the coins.

Something So Right 1976

 Miami soul songstress Gwen McCrae never scored another huge hit after 1975's "Rockin' Chair," but she did continue to make fine soul recordings through the end of the decade. One of the best of them is 1976's Something So Right. While it lacks an obvious hit single, this album is a solid, soulful showcase for McCrae's vocals. Her style retains the emotional earthiness needed to truly connect with her listeners. A good example of her style arrives with her performance on the title track, the cover of a Paul Simon classic, which balances an elegant and controlled delivery on the verses with a more emotional delivery on the chorus. She also displays a brassy sense of authority on dance-oriented numbers like "Mr. Everything" and "Iron Woman." Something So Right further benefits from Clarence Reid and Steve Alaimo's smooth production, which keeps a solid groove rolling as it sweetens the sound with yearning string arrangements. They also apply a creative touch to the album's cover versions: for instance, the classic Little Anthony doo wop tune "Tears on My Pillow" is transformed into a elegant ballad that gives McCrae room to throw in Millie Jackson-styled spoken interjections. The downside of Something So Right is that it favors track-to-track consistency over the kind of songs that would connect with a larger audience: this makes it likely that this album will remain a cult item. That said, anyone with a yen for 1970s soul will find plenty to enjoy on Something So Right.

Together (with George McCrae) 1975

George McCrae and his wife, Gwen McCrae, were just past the peak of their popularity when they recorded the 1976 LP Together as a duo. George was still riding his 1974 chart-topper "Rock Your Baby," while Gwen had scored a Top Ten hit of her own shortly afterward with "Rockin' Chair." Although they'd been pursuing solo careers, in fact they'd recorded as a duo in the early '70s, so Together was not so much a new pairing as a reunion, though ironically they'd separate romantically not long after it was done. "Rock Your Baby" in particular is regarded as a pivotal early disco record, but the Together album isn't a straight disco outing, though some disco's involved. Instead, it's a rather typical if high-class mid-'70s Miami soul album, disco rhythms informing some of the more uptempo tracks (especially "Let's Dance Dance Dance"), but others veering toward straighter romantic soul. None of the songs are particularly outstanding (and "I'll Do the Rockin'" seems like an obvious attempt to milk the "Rock Your Baby" formula), but it's pleasantly professional period soul-disco, the songs largely written by Clarence Reid. The 2009 CD reissue on Shout adds historical liner notes and a half-dozen George McCrae solo bonus tracks, the most interesting of which are three mid-'70s cuts (including the small hit "I Ain't Lyin'"); the others date from much later in his career.
 

Gwen McCrae 1974 (For Your Love)

 This album marked the long-playing debut of Gwen McCrae, a sultry voiced singer who remains popular with soul music cultists today. Rockin' Chair collects the material that she had been recording for the Cat label, a subsidiary of disco giant TK Records. Despite the fact that it was not technically conceived as an album, all the material on Rockin' Chair hangs together nicely: everything here was produced by Miami soul stalwart Steve Alaimo, who strikes an effective balance between silky soul and gospel-tinged funk on all the tracks. The obvious standout is the title tune, a mid-paced invitation to romance that frames McCrae's seductive vocal with stately horns and churning, infectious percussion. The end result is downright hypnotic and it deservedly became a massive hit on both the R&B and pop charts during 1975. None of the remaining tracks are as instantly infectious as the title hit, but they all make for fine listening: "Move Me Baby" is a gently-loping funk jam built on some silky keyboard riffs, and "Your Love Is Worse Than a Cold Love" is a convincing declaration of frustrated passion that gets a gutsy, gospel-tinged treatment from McCrae. Trivia fans will also want to take note that Harry Casey of KC and the Sunshine Band lent a hand on the production of "Move Me Baby." However, the album's unsung gem is "90% Of Me Is You": this hypnotic tune is a grand showcase for McCrae's emotive skills, allowing her to unfold a tale of emotional enslavement over a sleek backing track that balances yearning strings with a moody funk groove. All in all, Rockin' Chair is an exciting collection that will appeal to any fans of 1970s soul.

Randy Brown – Randy 1981

 

Randy Brown – Check It Out 1981

 

Randy Brown – Midnight Desire 1980

 

Randy Brown – Intimately 1979

 

Welcome to My Room (1978)

 

Smooth soul singer Randy Brown dies at 72

 

(March 5, 2025) 2025 just isn’t letting up in the bad news it is giving to soul music fans. We are sad to report the passing of popular 70s and 80s singer Randy Brown, at age 72.  For those who love their soul smooth, sensual, and steeped in Southern tradition, Randy Brown was a name worth knowing.

Born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Brown was surrounded by the city’s deep musical roots. He got his start as a member of The Newcomers, a promising vocal group signed to Stax Records, but it was as a solo artist that he truly found his voice.

Brown made his solo debut in 1978 with Welcome to My Room, an album that quickly became a favorite among quiet storm enthusiasts. Led by the slow-burning hits “I’m Always in the Mood” and the cool midtempo “I Wanna Make Love To You,” the record was filled with the kind of sultry, late-night grooves that made Brown a standout among his peers.

Throughout the early ’80s, Brown continued to deliver quality soul with albums like Midnight Desire and Check It Out, and scored his highest charting hit in 1980 with the Southern Soul-influenced “We Ought to Be Doin it.” His distinctive tenor voice continued to grace albums until the middle of the decade.

Brown continued to thrill audiences long after his recording days were over. He toured the world in multi-artist shows, and had a particularly strong following in Europe, where he performed recently.

 While he never achieved mainstream superstardom, Brown’s music found a dedicated audience, particularly among fans of deep Southern soul and classic slow jams. His rich, expressive tenor and heartfelt delivery ensured that his songs remained in rotation among true R&B lovers. And his sad passing today reminds us of that nice run of soulful, groove-filled music he gave us for a half decade. Rest in peace, Randy.

Masters Of The Fungk 1995

 

The Funk Strikes Back 1992

 

Rebirth 1990

 

Slave 88 / 1988

 

Make Believe 1987

 

Unchained at Last 1985

 

New Plateau 1984

 

Bad Enuff 1983

 

Visions of the Lite 1982

 From 1977-1981, Slave was among the most exciting bands in the funk field. Most of the albums it recorded during that period are superb, including 1977's Slave, 1978's The Concept, 1979's Just a Touch of Love, and 1980's Stone Jam. But if all good things must come to an end, Slave went downhill (both creatively and commercially) in 1982. Singer/drummer Steve Arrington left the Dayton outfit after 1981's Show Time (the last truly great Slave album), and his input was sorely missed. Released in 1982, the post-Arrington Visions of the Lite was the first Slave album that could honestly be described as disappointing. This isn't a terrible record, but it's definitely a mediocre one. While "Visions," "Friday Nites," and other tracks are mildly catchy, nothing on the LP is in a class with "Slide," "Watching You," "Just a Touch of Love," or "Snapshot." After treasures like The Concept and Stone Jam, one held Slave to very high standards; and while Visions of the Lite isn't as disaster, hearing it is like tasting beer when you have grown accustomed to champagne. This LP is only recommended to completists.