ALCORN STATE, MS – The Alcorn State family is proud to announce that Mississippi native and Motown recording star G.C. Cameron will be singing the National Anthem during the Homecoming game Saturday, September 29 as the Braves take on the Hornets of Alabama State at Spinks-Casem Stadium. Kick off is slated for 2:00 p.m.
G.C. Cameron first came to national attention in the late 60s as the lead singer for the Spinners. His plaintive wailing on the group's first major hit, "It's A Shame," seemed to announce to the world that a new super-group was born. However, to call them new was a misperception, as they had paid more dues to get to that point than any other group at Motown. Unfortunately, while "It's A Shame" provided the currency the Spinners needed to leave Motown for what would be a monumental decade at Atlantic, Cameron was contractually and martially bound to Motown (he was married to Berry Gordy's sister Gwen). He stayed for the remainder of the 70s with the label, but never received the material or promotion his great voice deserved (though he recorded a wonderful version of the now classic "Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday").
After leaving Motown, Cameron moved back to his home state of Mississippi and recorded sporadically during the 80s and 90s, mostly playing small clubs or shows with other former Motown vets. Then, after 30 years away from the Spinners, he received a call from the group in 2000 requesting that he fill in for ailing lead singer John Edwards. He toured with the Spinners for several months in 2000 and again in 2002 (when Edwards' illness became more severe), though the Thom Bell-produced Atlantic material wasn't always best suited for Cameron's voice (which is very different than both Edwards and Philippe Wynne). In 2003, Cameron released the solo disc Shadows, an excellent album he had worked on in 2002 with co-producer Ben Obi.
After leaving the Spinners in 2003, Cameron scored a dream job as the new lead singer for the Temptations, replacing Bo Henderson. His multi-octave, often rough vocal style was perfect for covering the classic lead parts of both David Ruffin and Dennis Edwards, and his maturity was clearly a plus for a group that has battled dissention several times over its history. Cameron remained in the group until 2007, when he resumed his solo career. He currently tours performing songs from his 40+ year career and is working on creating the G. C. Cameron Sanctuary.
We are honored to welcome the legendary G.C. Cameron to the beautiful campus of Alcorn State University.
