George Curtis Cameron is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the " United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, ...

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '':wikt:soul, soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The ea ...

and R&B singer who is currently married to singer Linda Dixon Cameron a.k.a. “Lady L.”. Perhaps best known as the lead singer of The Spinners on their 1970 hit " It's a Shame" and for his 1975 hit "

It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" is an R&B song written by Motown husband-and-wife songwriting team Freddie Perren and Christine Yarian for the 1975 film '' Cooley High''. In the film, the song is performed by Motown artist G.C. Camer ...

". Cameron is credited with having "six different voices."

The Spinners

After serving in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

with the

Marines Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (ref ...

, Cameron joined

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''mot ...

act The Spinners as lead singer (though original lead singer Bobby Smith also retained his lead position). He sang both lead parts on their first big hit, 1970's " It's a Shame", co-written and produced by

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, sou ...

. However, when The Spinners left Motown the following year, Cameron remained with Motown as a solo artist. Cameron rejoined The Spinners in 2000, after then-current frontman

John Edwards Johnny Reid Edwards (born June 10, 1953) is an American lawyer and former politician who served as a U.S. senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2004 alongside John Kerry, losing to incumbents George ...

suffered a stroke. He remained with The Spinners well into the early 2000s, during which time he appeared with them on a

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of ed ...

music special, singing his 1970 hit " It's A Shame", before leaving again to join

The Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...

in 2003.

Solo artist

Releasing several solo singles in the early 1970s, he became known for his ability to sound like other artists, such as

Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive director. He was the founder and front man of the Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chi ...

on his song "(Don't Wanna) Play Pajama Games",

Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, and one of the most influential musicians behind soul and politically conscious African-American music.

on "No Matter Where" and

The Isley Brothers The Isley Brothers ( ) are an American musical group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, that began as a vocal trio consisting of brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley in the 1950s. With a career spanning over seven decade ...

on his duet with

Willie Hutch William McKinley Hutchison (December 6, 1944 – September 19, 2005), better known as Willie Hutch, was an American singer, songwriter as well as a record producer and recording artist for the Motown record label during the 1970s and 1980s. Biog ...

"Come Get This Thang". Although Cameron was not a major-seller for the label, he did have a hit with "

", the theme song of the 1975 film ''

Cooley High ''Cooley High'' is a 1975 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film that follows the narrative of high school Twelfth grade, seniors and best friends, Leroy "Preach" Jackson (Glynn Turman) and Richard "Cochise" Morris (Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs). Wri ...

'', which was later covered by

Boyz II Men Boyz II Men (pronounced ''boys to men''), also known as B2M, is an American vocal harmony group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are currently a trio composed of baritone Natha ...

. Cameron left Motown after the 1970s, and toured as an independent artist. He recorded a critically acclaimed album for

Malaco Records Malaco Records is an American independent record label based in Jackson, Mississippi, United States, that has been the home of various major blues and gospel acts, such as Johnnie Taylor, Bobby Bland, Mel Waiters, Z. Z. Hill, Denise LaSalle ...

in 1983 and his career was revived in 1989 by recordings for British record companies

Ardent Ardent may refer to: * Ardent spirits, liquors obtained after repeated distillations from fermented vegetables. * Ardent (automobile), a French automobile produced from 1900 to 1901 *Ardent Computer, a graphics minicomputer manufacturing compan ...

(owned at the time by Paul Mooney) and

Motorcity ''Motorcity'' is an American animated television series created by Chris Prynoski. It is produced by Titmouse, Inc. and Disney Television Animation. The series ran from April 30, 2012 to January 7, 2013 on Disney XD. On November 5, 2012, the se ...

(owned by

Ian Levine Ian Geoffrey Levine (born 22 June 1953) is a British songwriter, producer, and DJ. A moderniser of Northern soul music in the UK, and a developer of the style of Hi-NRG, he has written and produced records with sales totalling over 40 million. ...

). He also recorded another solo album titled ''Shadows''. ''Shadows'' was co-produced by Ben Obi of Savannah Street Music.

The Temptations, 2003-2007, 2019

Today

On Saturday, May 17, 2008, Cameron made a special guest appearance at a benefit concert for Hold on to Education Foundation Inc. in South Jersey. He received proclamations from New Jersey State Senator

Diane Allen Diane B. Allen (born March 8, 1948) is an American politician and television journalist. A member of the Republican Party, she represented the 7th legislative district in the New Jersey Assembly from 1996 to 1998 and New Jersey Senate from 1998 ...

; and Mayor Jacqueline Jennings, with Councilman Eddie Campbell, Jr. of

Willingboro Willingboro Township is a township in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is a suburb of Philadelphia and part of the state's South Jersey region. As of the 2020 census, the population was 31,889, an increase of ...

, New Jersey.

Cherry Hill High School West Cherry Hill High School West (also known as Cherry Hill West or CHW) is a four-year comprehensive public high school, serving students in ninth grade through twelfth grades in Cherry Hill, Camden County, New Jersey, United States, operating as ...

Acappella vocal group Men of Note and Ms. Marilyn Marshall paid tribute to Cameron in honor of his contribution to American Popular Music and his dedication to youth education. In late 2008, he appeared on the PBS special ''Love Train: The Sound of Philadelphia'', singing The Spinners' hit "The Rubberband Man". In 2008, G.C. Cameron began working with reggae band Dub Nation on their album ''Rising Force For Change''. Released in early 2012, the album features reggae renditions of Cameron's hits " It's A Shame" and "

" as well as a collection of new songs. In 2009, G.C. Cameron released the album ''Enticed Ecstasy''.

Discography

*1971: "Act Like a Shotgun" *1972: "Don't Wanna Play Pajama Games" *1973: "No Matter Where" *1974: "Let Me Down Easy" *1974: ''Love Songs & Other Tragedies'' *1974: "Topics" *1975: "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" *1976: ''G.C. Cameron'' *1977: ''You're What's Missing in My Life'' *1977: ''

Rich Love, Poor Love ''Rich Love, Poor Love'' is a collaboration album by singers Syreeta and G.C. Cameron, released by Motown in 1977. Track listing Personnel *Syreeta – vocals *G.C. Cameron – vocals * David T. Walker, Greg Poree, Jay Graydon – guitar *Da ...

'' with

Syreeta Syreeta Wright (February 28, 1946 – July 6, 2004), who recorded professionally under the single name Syreeta, was an American singer-songwriter, best known for her music during the early 1970s through the early 1980s. Wright's career heights we ...

*1983: ''Give Me Your Love'' *1991: ''Right or Wrong'' *2001: ''Shadows'' *2009: ''Enticed Ecstasy'' *2012: '' Rising Force for Change'' with Dub Nation

References

External links

An interview with Soul Express in October 2018
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cameron, G.C. Living people Motown artists Musicians from Jackson, Mississippi American soul singers 20th-century African-American male singers The Temptations members The Spinners (American R&B group) members People from Franklin County, Mississippi 21st-century African-American male singers 1945 births