The McCrarys are an American family

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

and R&B group best known for the songs "You" (featuring

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...

on harmonica), "Lost in Loving You," "Love on a Summer Night" and " Any Ol' Sunday" (later covered by

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan ( ), is an American singer. Known as the " Queen of Funk", her career has spanned more than five decades beginning in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of ...

). In 2014, they founded The McCrary Foundation, a nonprofit to help those in need through the healing powers of music.

History

Originally from

Youngstown, Ohio Youngstown is a city in Mahoning County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Ohio, 11th-most populous city in Ohio with a population of 60,068 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Mahoning ...

, the family recording act consisted of siblings Linda, Alfred, Charity, Sam and Howard McCrary. In 1972, the quintet released a

album, ''Sunshine Day'' on Light Records. When the group moved from gospel to secular music in the mid-1970s, Howard left the group to continue in gospel. The group released their first album "Emerge" on Cat's Eye records in 1973, featuring the title song along with Kung Fu, Be A Father To Your Son, 6 other McCrary tunes and You've Got A Friend. The McCrarys appeared as a group on the 1978

Cat Stevens Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou; ), commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens, Yusuf, and Yusuf / Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and musician. He has sold more than 100 million records and has more than two billion st ...

song "New York Times". The group relocated to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

and recorded a series of R&B albums in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Their biggest hit was "You" (written by Alfred, Linda and Sam McCrary), which featured harmonica by

. A huge R&B single, the song also achieved significant airplay on Pop radio stations, peaking just below the Top 40. It was featured on their debut

Portrait A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face is always predominant. In arts, a portrait may be represented as half body and even full body. If the subject in full body better r ...

album, ''Loving is Living''. On the album's cover notes, Stevie Wonder said about the group: "If it is your desire to experience: Lyrics of sincerity, song and harmony, family in unity, your heart being warmed by universal and intimate loves, then share with me the fulfillment of that desire by experiencing the McCrary family." Their follow-up album on Portrait was the 1979 release, ''On the Other Side''. It featured the Top 40 R&B single, "Lost in Loving You." The song was written by Alfred McCrary, Linda McCrary and Sundray Tucker. Howard rejoined the group for their first Capitol release, '' Just for You''. While the 1980 album was not as successful as their previous releases, the song " Any Ol' Sunday" (written by Linda and Alfred McCrary) became a hit single for

on her 1981 '' What Cha' Gonna Do for Me'' album. Howard McCrary did not appear on ''All Night Music'', their next Capitol release. This album featured the single, "Love on a Summer Night." In 2014, The McCrary's founded The McCrary Foundation Choir. Their first single "Let There Be Peace" was released on October 11, 2016.

Influence

"They sang a fresh, hip, urban style of gospel that was years before its time," said Andrew Hamilton in his biography of the group in the All Music Guide. "They were doing in the early '70s what only became popular decades later." The group continues to be revered among fans of the

Northern Soul Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged in Northern England and the Midlands in the early 1970s. It developed from the British Mod (subculture), mod scene, based on a particular style of African American music, Black American ...

movement and is featured on the popular British website, ''Soulwalking''.

Independent work

Linda McCrary has sung backing vocals for

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

("Morphine"),

("Ordinary Pain"),

Melissa Manchester Melissa Manchester (born February 15, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Since the 1970s, her songs have been played by adult contemporary radio stations. She has also appeared on television, in films, and on stage. Early li ...

("Help Is On The Way"),

Thelma Houston Thelma Houston ( Jackson; born May 7, 1943) is an American singer and actress. Beginning her recording career in the late 1960s, Houston scored a number-one hit in 1977 with her recording of " Don't Leave Me This Way", which won the Grammy for ...

("Imaginary Paradise"),

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

RuPaul RuPaul Andre Charles (born November 17, 1960) is an American drag queen, television host, singer, producer, writer, and actor. He produces, hosts, and judges the reality competition series ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' and has received List of awards ...

("Don't Go Breaking My Heart"), Angela Bofill ("On and On"), and on the albums of Andrae Crouch, Sandra Crouch,

Emerson, Lake & Palmer Emerson, Lake & Palmer (informally known as ELP) were an English progressive rock Supergroup (music), supergroup formed in London in 1970. The band consisted of Keith Emerson (keyboards) of The Nice, Greg Lake (vocals, bass, guitars, producer) ...

('' In the Hot Seat''), and

Juice Newton Juice Newton (born Judith Kay Newton; February 18, 1952) is an American pop and country singer, songwriter, and musician. Newton has received five Grammy Award nominations in the Pop and Country Best Female Vocalist categorieswinning once in 198 ...

('' Can't Wait All Night''), among others. She also co-wrote the

single "Any Old Sunday". Alfred McCrary has also worked with Andrae Crouch and on sessions with Larnelle Harris. He's also performed with Michael McDonald,

Yolanda Adams Yolanda Yvette Adams (born August 27, 1961) is an American gospel singer, actress, and host of her own nationally syndicated morning gospel show. She is one of the best-selling gospel artists of all time, having sold over 10 million albu ...

Gloria Loring Gloria Loring-Lagler (born Gloria Jean Goff, December 10, 1946) is an American singer and actress. She is known for playing Liz Chandler on '' Days of Our Lives'' for six years (1980–1986, 2024). She and singer-actor Carl Anderson performed ...

, Michael Card and Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons. Including his work with Sundray Tucker, he's also the most prolific songwriter of the family. Charity McCrary has sung backing vocals for

Maria Muldaur Maria Muldaur (born Maria Grazia Rosa Domenica D'Amato; September 12, 1942) is an American folk and blues singer who was part of the American folk music revival in the early 1960s. She recorded the 1973 hit song " Midnight at the Oasis" and h ...

("There is a Love",

Al Stewart Alastair Ian Stewart (born 5 September 1945) is a British singer-songwriter and folk-rock musician who rose to prominence as part of the British folk revival in the 1960s and 1970s. He developed a unique style of combining folk-rock songs wi ...

(''Just Yesterday'', '' Russians & Americans''),

BeBe & CeCe Winans BeBe & CeCe Winans are an American gospel/ R&B music brother and sister duo. BeBe and CeCe Winans are the seventh and eighth of the Winans family's ten children, most of whom have had gospel music careers. Together, they have received several a ...

(''Relationships''), and

('' Songs in the Key of Life''), among others. She sang on the soundtrack of '' The Ladykillers'', and co-wrote the Thelma Houston single "Imaginary Paradise". Howard McCrary has sung backing vocals for

('' Invincible''),

Earth, Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (abbreviated as EW&F or EWF) is an American band formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1969. Their music spans multiple genres, including jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin and Afro-pop. They are among the best-selling ba ...

('' The Promise'', '' In the Name of Love''), and for albums recorded by

Bette Midler Bette Midler ( ;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and author. Throughout her five-decade career Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Bette Midler, numero ...

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, and Andrae Crouch, among others. He also released the 1985 gospel album, ''So Good'', for the A&M-distributed Good News label. Sam McCrary has also recorded with Andrae Crouch,

, Larnelle Harris, and

Candi Staton Canzetta Maria "Candi" Staton (, ) (born March 13, 1940) is an American singer–songwriter, best known in the United States for her 1970 cover of Tammy Wynette's " Stand by Your Man" and her 1976 disco chart-topper " Young Hearts Run Free". In E ...

Discography

Albums

Singles

*"Be A Father" / "If It's Difficult", 1973 *"Givin' It Up", 1977 *"Don't Wear Yourself Out" / "You Are The Key", 1978 *"You", 1978 *"Lost in Loving You", 1979 *"Gotta Be In", 1980 *"You Are My Happiness", 1980 *"Any Ol' Sunday" / "The Letdown", 1980 *"Love On A Summer Night", 1982 *"Night Room", 1982 *"It's A Pleasure" / "Love On A Summer Night", with Sheree Brown, 2001 *"Emerge" / "Crystals", with Ron Forella, 2010

References

External links

The McCrarys single, "You" on YouTube
*The McCrar
FoundationThe McCrarys performance at Michael Jackson's televised funeral.
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mccrarys American gospel musical groups American soul musical groups Capitol Records artists Family musical groups Musicians from Ohio Musical groups established in 1972