Rose Royce

From 1976 to 1978, the group Rose Royce landed seven Top 10 singles on Billboard’s R&B chart, including the funky disco earworm “Car Wash”, which became a No. 1 pop hit. • The group began when members of several backup bands around the Watts and Inglewood sections of Los Angeles came together as Total Concept Unlimited. • In 1973, they toured with R&B great Edwin Starr, and through him, they met former Motown producer and songwriter Norman Whitfield. Rechristened The Magic Wand, the band began backing some of Whitfield’s artists, including The Undisputed Truth. • One night on tour, Undisputed Truth lead singer Joe Harris discovered a singer named Gwen Dickey. Whitfield auditioned the talented newcomer, connected her with The Magic Wand, and renamed her Rose Norwalt. • The band—renamed Rose Royce—debut in 1976 with Car Wash, the soundtrack for the comedic film of the same name. The title track reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the ballad “I Wanna Get Next to You” landed at No. 10. • Released in 1977, Rose Royce’s second album, In Full Bloom, topped the R&B chart. • Rose Royce’s third album, 1979’s Strikes Again, yielded their fourth and final Top 40 pop hit, “Love Don’t Live Here No More”. The song was later covered by Madonna. • Although Norwalt left in 1980, the group continued releasing albums through the end of the ’80s. In the absence of major hits, the group remained a popular live draw.