Cary Gilbert (March 20, 1942 – February 15, 1993) was an American

lyricist A lyricist is a songwriter who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment. Royalties A lyricist's income ...

who wrote songs with Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff at

Philadelphia International Records Philadelphia International Records (PIR) was an American record label based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1971 by songwriting and production duo Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff along with their longtime collaborator Thom Bell. I ...

in the 1970s. Among the songs he co-wrote are the international #1 hits "

Me and Mrs. Jones "Me and Mrs. Jones" is a 1972 soul song written by Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert, and originally recorded by Billy Paul. It describes an extramarital affair between a man and his lover, Mrs. Jones. In the song, the two meet in secre ...

" and "

Don't Leave Me This Way "Don't Leave Me This Way" is a song written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert. It was originally released in 1975 by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes featuring Teddy Pendergrass, an act signed to Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia Internat ...

." Gilbert, widely known as "Hippy," grew up in

Camden, New Jersey Camden is a city in and the county seat of Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Camden is part of the Delaware Valley metropolitan area and is located directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the 2020 ...

, and became friends with Gamble and Huff when the two were members of Kenny Gamble & the Romeos. After holding several jobs and marrying, Gilbert turned to songwriting with Gamble and Huff and penned the lyrics for

Billy Paul Paul Williams (December 1, 1934 – April 24, 2016), known professionally as Billy Paul, was a Grammy Award-winning American soul singer, known for his 1972 No. 1 single " Me and Mrs. Jones", as well as the 1973 album and single ''War of the Go ...

's hit "Me and Mrs. Jones" in 1972. He also wrote the lyrics for "Don't Leave Me This Way," originally a track on

Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes were an American soul and R&B vocal group. One of the most popular Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s, the group's repertoire included soul, R&B, doo-wop, and disco. Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in ...

' 1975 album '' Wake Up Everybody'' and later an international hit for

Thelma Houston Thelma Houston ( Jackson; born May 7, 1946) Retrieved . is an American singer. Beginning her recording career in the late 1960s, Houston scored a number-one hit record in 1977 with her recording of "Don't Leave Me This Way", which won the Grammy ...

, Biography by Andrew Hamilton, ''Allmusic.com''
Retrieved 16 September 2014 whose version was nominated for

Best R&B Song The Grammy Award for Best R&B Song (sometimes known as the R&B Songwriter's Award) has been awarded since 1969. From 1969 to 2000, it was known as the Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Song. Beyoncé has won it a record four times, while Bab ...

at the 1978 Grammy Awards. Gilbert also co-wrote " Livin' for the Weekend" and "Your Body's Here With Me (But Your Mind Is on the Other Side of Town)" for

The O'Jays The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1958 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert, Walter Lee Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey, and Bill Isles. The O'Jays made their first chart appearance with the minor hi ...

, “Don’t Let the Music Slip Away” for

Archie Bell & the Drells Archie Bell & the Drells was an American R&B vocal group from Houston, Texas, and one of the main acts on Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff's Philadelphia International Records. The band's hits include " Tighten Up", "I Can't Stop Dancing" (both 19 ...

, and "Let's Clean Up the Ghetto" for the Philadelphia International All-Stars. Gilbert died in February 1993, at age 50, from complications associated with

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

. Cary Gilbert, ''Discogs.com''
Retrieved 16 September 2014

References

1942 births 1993 deaths Musicians from Camden, New Jersey Songwriters from New Jersey Philadelphia International Records artists Songwriters from Pennsylvania 20th-century American composers {{US-songwriter-stub