Gwen Guthrie

  • Okemah, OK
    hometown
  • Soul
    genre
  • 1974
    started
  • Bio
    full story
  • Share
  • Similar
Close

About Gwen Guthrie


Gwen Guthrie is best known for her number one R&B single "Ain't Nothin' Goin' on But the Rent," a popular self-written bouncer. A prolific songwriter and a good pianist, she also penned "Supernatural Thing" for Ben E. King and "This Time I'll Be Sweeter" for Martha Reeves, which was later popularized by Angela Bofill and Issac Hayes. In all, Guthrie logged approximately 50 compositions, and many thought Guthrie and songwriting partner Patrick Grant had the potential to become another Ashford & Simpson.

Born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1950, Guthrie started singing in high school with a female quartet called the Ebonettes. (Another one of its members, Brenda White King, pursued music like Guthrie and became an in-demand session singer.) Guthrie sang lead for a group (East Coast) formed by Larry Blackmon (later of Cameo) in New York, but got her big break when she was asked to do a background session for Aretha Franklin, the number one R&B hit "I'm in Love," from 1974. Six months later, Guthrie signed as a staff writer with Bert de Coteaux Productions and co-wrote "Love Don't Go Through No Changes," the first hit for Sister Sledge, and many others with Grant. The collaboration didn't last long, however.

Guthrie continued to write with a variety of partners, and supplied backing vocals to many recording sessions. Working with Peter Tosh in the late '70s, Guthrie befriended reggae stars Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, who invited her to Nassau to record vocals for an album they were producing. Hearing her unique voice in the studio, Island Records founder Chris Blackwell inked her to a contract, and the Dunbar/Shakespeare project, assisted by David Conley of Surface, became her first solo release, a self-titled LP. She did score a dancefloor hit with the album's "It Should Have Been You." Her second LP, Portrait, released in 1983, followed a similar formula. Album number three, Good to Go Lover, dropped in 1986, and spawned her chart-topper "Ain't Nothin' Goin' on but the Rent," plus the torching ballad "You Touched My Life." On Lifeline (1988), Guthrie was more involved in the writing and production. Hot Times was Guthrie's final LP release, hitting the streets in 1990. Like the previous LP, she wrote nearly everything, except for a moving remake of Stephanie Mills' "Never Knew Love Like This Before." GuthrieGuthrie died on February 3, 1999, of uterine cancer in Orange, New Jersey. ~ Andrew Hamilton, Rovi

Scroll up Scroll down

Music

From position 0, showing 1 items, asking 10
See All
  • Outside In The Rain
    gwen-guthrie
    Video
    Outside In The Rain
  • 23640
    SoundStream
    SoundStream
    song name
    0:00
    Audio powered by
    All the music you want, just 10 bucks a month. Try it free.
    • Ain't Nothin' Goin' On But The Rent
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g2/6/5/3/8/6/903968356.mp3
    • Ain't Nothin' Goin' On But The Rent
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/9/2/6/2/4/109342629.mp3
    • Padlock - (Larry Levan mix)
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/0/6/9/5/3/110635960.mp3
    • Close To You, (They Long To Be)
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/4/7/2/3/1/110713274.mp3
    • Outside In The Rain
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/7/1/6/2/4/109342617.mp3
    • Seventh Heaven
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/1/1/8/5/3/110635811.mp3

Photos

From position 0, showing 1 items, asking 10
See All
  • Island
    Gwen Guthrie
    Island
    Lynn Goldsmith

Discography

From position 0, showing 7 items, asking 10
See All
  • Hot Times (1990)
    Gwen Guthrie
    Hot Times (1990)
    Reprise
  • Lifeline (1988)
    Gwen Guthrie
    Lifeline (1988)
    Warner Bros.
  • Good to Go Lover (1986)
    Gwen Guthrie
    Good to Go Lover (1986)
    SoulMusic.com
  • Just for You (1985)
    Gwen Guthrie
    Just for You (1985)
    Island
  • Portrait (1983)
    Gwen Guthrie
    Portrait (1983)
    Island
  • Padlock [Bonus Tracks] (1983)
    Gwen Guthrie
    Padlock [Bonus Tracks] (1983)
    Island
  • Gwen Guthrie (1982)
    Gwen Guthrie
    Gwen Guthrie (1982)
    Island
Are You Gwen Guthrie? Claim this page | Learn more about Artists.MTV | FAQ for Artists
Gwen Guthrie Bio | Gwen Guthrie Music | Gwen Guthrie News | Gwen Guthrie Discography |
MTV | MTV Jobs | Privacy Policy | User Content Agreement | Copyright | Artist Index | Social Projects Agreements | Ad Choices |
Portions of this page powered by
This site contains content from artists, fans, and writers from around the internet in it's natural form. Such content is not representative of Viacom Media Networks.

©2012 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. MTV and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.

  • Explore
    • Popular
    • Emerging
    • Genres
      • Rock
      • Hip Hop
      • Indie
      • Electronic/EDM
      • Country
      • Pop
    • Collections
    • Artist To Watch
  • Search
  • Are you an artist?
    • Claim Your Page
    • Learn More
    • FAQ
    • Opportunities