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Good Times Theme Singer Jim Gilstrap (1946 - 2026)

Zoneboy — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 21:46:49 GMT

https://www.kjwl.com/2026/07/19/jim-...st-dies-at-79/

James �Jim� Gilstrap, the sonorous tenor heard on classics such as Stevie Wonder�s �You Are the Sunshine of My Life� and as the co-lead on the television series theme song Good Times, has died. Gilstrap passed away of natural causes in Los Angeles on July 18. He was 79 years old.

In a career that spanned more than five decades, Gilstrap crafted a sterling reputation as one of the music industry�s most versatile and in-demand session vocalists. He also charted a pair of R&B hits as a solo artist in 1975: �Swing Your Daddy� (No. 10 in the U.S.; No. 4 in the U.K.) and �I�m on Fire� (No. 20) � both featured on his Chelsea Records debut studio album, Swing Your Daddy. A year later, Gilstrap released a second studio album, Love Talk.

Born Nov. 10, 1946 in Texas, Gilstrap � following a stint in the military and work with other early music groups � became a featured vocalist with Stevie Wonder�s backing band and vocal group Wonderlove in the early �70s. It�s Gilstrap singing the opening lines on the Grammy Award-winning �You Are the Sunshine of My Life� from the Talking Book album. Gilstrap also worked on other seminal Wonder albums during this fertile chapter that legend�s career including Innervisions and Fulfillingness� First Finale.

In addition to his aforementioned solo foray and contribution to the Good Times theme song in 1974, Gilstrap lent his virtuoso tenor to host of projects by a diverse array of stars. Among them: Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Bill Withers, Luther Vandross, Kenny Loggins, Dolly Parton, Stanley Clarke and Boz Scaggs.

The last surviving member of 10 siblings, Gilstrap is survived by his wife Gloria as well as children and grandchildren. Memorial arrangements are pending.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6gNo4-1r6k?is=5F4tVXyTDQogsPEM

That One Time James Sr. Drew More Than The Line!

TMC — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 01:21:59 GMT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPR_HQplL5Y

Quote:

What really happened in Good Times Season 3, Episode 2 � �The Family Tool?� In this episode of Randumb Rants, we�re breaking down one of the most memorable storylines from the series while replacing the original episode title�s sensitive word with �The Family Tool.�

We�ll discuss why the Evans family felt they needed a tool for protection, how each family member reacted to having it in the apartment, and the bigger message the episode was trying to send about fear, responsibility, and protecting your loved ones. We�ll also look at the standout performances, memorable moments, and whether this episode still resonates with audiences today.

As always, expect plenty of commentary, behind-the-scenes discussion, humor, and debate as we revisit another classic episode of Good Times.

If you enjoy classic sitcom breakdowns, character deep dives, and nostalgic TV discussions, be sure to like, comment, subscribe, and let me know your thoughts in the comments!

It was a GOOD thing that Florida made James give back the $2,000!

Janice Johnson — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 12:15:46 GMT

When James finds a bag of robbery money and turns it into Borgen's Grocery store he gets $50 gift certificate for turning in the money as a thank you. James is disgusted and glad that he actually kept $2,000 from the robbery money knowing he was going to get screwed over. Florida is HORRIFIED that James technically stole $2,000. The Evans get harassed because James turned in the robbery money. JJ actually starts getting BEAT UP because of James turning in the robbery money! :eek:

Florida begs James to give the $2,000 as well but James is hesitant as $2,000 is a LOT of money in the 1970's and can get them a GREAT LIFE. Heck $2,000 is GOOD money today in 2026 let alone in the 1970's! James FINALLY caves and gives the $2,000 back. Good Times Fans REALLY dragged and ragged Florida so hard for forcing James to give back the $2,000 which was REALLY great money in the 1970's and could have given them a GREAT LIFE. But in honesty and reality, James could have ended up in JAIL if he had KEPT the $2,000 as he technically STOLE it. A Lawyer in recent years pointed out that you can go to jail for keeping stolen money. LOTS of Fans fail to realize that James could have ended up in jail over that $2,000. And at the end of episode Florida pointed out that more and more people in the episode started realizing that James did the right thing in giving back the robbery money. :)

She Demanded A Father On Screen � Then They Wrote Him Out

TMC — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:57:16 GMT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSwZycodMjk

Quote:

She fought to put a Black father on screen � and the show wrote him out through a tragic passing anyway. This is the story of Esther Rolle: the actress who reshaped a hit before it ever aired, then watched it dismantle everything she had built.

Born the tenth of eighteen children to Bahamian immigrant parents in Pompano Beach, Florida, Esther Rolle spent decades earning her credibility long before Hollywood noticed her name. She worked New York's garment district by day, directed an African dance troupe, studied at Spelman College and Yale, and built herself into a serious stage actress through the Negro Ensemble Company and productions including The Crucible and Blues for Mr. Charlie. When Good Times premiered on CBS in February 1974 and made her a household name overnight, she had already won a fight most viewers never knew about. She had refused to sign on unless the show included a strong, present Black father � because she would not, in her own words, compound the lie that Black fathers do not care about their children. That father, James Evans, existed on screen because she drew a line and refused to move it.

Then the show began to drift. The writers leaned harder into comedy. A breakout character named J.J. began dominating storylines. The serious family drama she had believed in dissolved into something she no longer recognized. In 1975, she went public in Ebony magazine, called the show a clown show, and said out loud what powerful producers rarely want to hear. Her on-screen husband, John Amos, was let go. The father she had demanded was written out through a passing in the script. When her contract ended in 1977, she walked away from one of the biggest hits on network television rather than keep lending her face to a portrait she believed was a distortion.

What followed was quieter than her talent deserved. Roles thinned. Her later years were shadowed by a serious battle with diabetes, and the woman who had once anchored a beloved American family spent her final chapter largely out of the public eye. The rebellion was real. So was the oblivion.

But the Black father on that Chicago screen existed because one actress refused to budge. That fact does not fade.