G.C. Cameron

Soul vocalist G.C. Cameron has logged more than three decades in the industry yet continues to perform with undiminished energy. In 2000 he rejoined the Spinners—the ensemble he had exited in 1971 to launch a solo career—stepping in temporarily for the ailing John Edwards. His electrifying lead on the group’s “It’s a Shame” remains the performance most closely associated with his name.

Born in a modest community in Franklin County, Mississippi, Cameron relocated with his family to Detroit in 1955 during his childhood. One of ten siblings, he grew up alongside his slightly older cousin Philippe Wynne, who also lived in the crowded Cameron household. The two navigated Detroit’s rough streets together without ever forming a vocal group. Following military service that took him to Vietnam, Cameron was selected by the Spinners to replace background vocalist Edgar “Chico” Edwards, thereby introducing a fresh lead voice. Motown’s production team soon took greater interest in the quintet, and figures such as Stevie Wonder began supplying material and studio guidance. Their initial Cameron-fronted single, a 1969 revival of the Moonglows’ “In My Diary,” was paired with the Bobby Smith feature “(She’s Gonna Love Me) At Sundown.” Despite its potential, the release languished because of Motown’s indifferent promotion; after Harvey Fuqua and Gwen Gordy transferred their Tri-Phi catalog to the label, the Spinners found themselves relegated to low-priority status.

Stevie Wonder’s “It’s a Shame” sat unreleased for a full year before Motown finally issued it on June 6, 1970. The track climbed to number 14 on the pop chart, becoming the group’s strongest showing to that point. Frustration with the company’s neglect intensified when the follow-up, “We Got It Made,” failed to match that success, prompting the Spinners to plan their departure. Cameron, however, had begun a relationship with Gwen Gordy and elected to remain at Motown. Before leaving, he ensured a smooth transition by recommending his cousin Philippe Wynne, who had already been rehearsing with the group. Wynne, previously a member of the Pacesetters alongside Bootsy and Catfish Collins in the Cincinnati area, joined for a five-year tenure that proved instrumental—alongside producer-arranger-writer Thom Bell—in the Spinners’ string of Atlantic hits, an achievement second only to the O’Jays’ dominance during the decade.

Cameron anticipated star treatment at Motown, yet the company’s Mowest imprint yielded a string of unsuccessful singles: “Act Like a Shotgun” in 1971, the quickly withdrawn “I’m Gonna Get You Parts 1 & 2,” and the sparsely promoted “What It Is, What It Is” in 1972. A planned duet with Willie Hutch titled “Come Get This Thing” was abandoned in favor of “Don’t Wanna Play Pajama Games,” a Smokey Robinson production on which Cameron closely emulated the writer’s style. Meanwhile the Spinners, now fronted by Wynne, scored repeated Top Ten successes, underscoring Cameron’s own commercial struggles. Subsequent Motown singles “No Matter Where” and “Let Me Down Easy,” both from 1973, likewise failed to chart. His debut solo album, Love Songs and Other Tragedies, appeared in 1974, followed by the self-titled G.C. Cameron in 1976 after the release of “If You’re Ever Gonna Love Me” in 1975. The exquisite “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” surfaced the same year, though it would later become indelibly linked to Boyz II Men. Further efforts—“Dream Lady” in 1976 and “You’re What’s Missing in My Life,” the title track of his 1977 album—met the same indifferent reception.

Motown paired Cameron with Syreeta for the 1977 album Rich Love, Poor Love, which spawned the single “Let’s Make a Deal.” Two years later Syreeta enjoyed a hit with Billy Preston on “With You I’m Born Again.” After that duet project and the end of his romance with Gwen Gordy, Cameron departed the label. A 1981 duet with Tata Vega, “I’ve Got My Second Wind,” from her album Givin’ All My Love, appeared long after his exit.

Thereafter the versatile vocalist, whose timbre shifted according to each producer’s vision, recorded sporadically for smaller imprints. His most notable later project was the 1983 Malaco album Give Me Your Love, recorded in Jackson, Mississippi, near his birthplace; standout tracks include the poignant “A Night Like This in Georgia.” In 1984 Ian Levine recruited Cameron for the Motorcity series as performer, songwriter, and producer. Although the creative partnership proved rewarding, Cameron has stated he never received royalties from any label with which he worked, including a late-1990s single with the Tams titled “Walking Dr. Bill.” That “shag” recording did, however, secure beach-music engagements in the Carolinas for both the Tams and his own G.C. Cameron Band.

The Motorcity sides, among them a duet with Martha Reeves, were later anthologized on Right or Wrong (1991) and The Very Best of G.C. Cameron (1996). Cameron subsequently established his own production and recording concern, Daggerjacc, and began work on a memoir recounting his experiences in the music business. He severed most industry ties, returned to Meadville, Mississippi, near his birthplace, remarried, and started a second family; a son from an earlier relationship is now over thirty.