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.
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.