GWEN McCRAE and BLUE DAZE

The youngest of five children, Gwen grew up singing in her Pentecostal church and later discovered secular singers like Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin. As a teenager, she began performing in local clubs and sang with local groups like the Lafayettes and the Independents. Her first major hit came in 1975 with "Rockin' Chair", which became a #1 R&B hit and also reached the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Top 10. Her style and voice have been compared with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle — earthy and sensual with an alluring hint of vulnerability.