Gwen was the youngest of five children (three sisters: one called Delores, and one brother Herman),[1][2] She began performing in local clubs as a teenager, and singing with local groups like the Lafayettes and the Independents.[1] In 1963, she met a young sailor named George McCrae who she married within a week.[1]

From 1963, she recorded as a duo with her husband George, and was first to receive a solo recording contract, with Henry Stone's TK Records.[1] George and Gwen were discovered in 1967 by singer Betty Wright, who helped get them signed to Stone's Alston record label.[1]

Signed to TK subsidiary, Cat as a solo artist, she found success on the U.S. R&B charts with her cover version of Bobby Bland's "Lead Me On" in 1970, followed by "For Your Love".[1] Following husband George’s unexpected solo success with "Rock Your Baby", Gwen went on to have a major hit of her own in March 1975 with "Rockin' Chair", a #1 R&B hit which also reached number 9 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [1] The follow-up "Love Insurance" also made the R&B chart (#16).[1]

After TK Records collapsed, McCrae moved to New Jersey and signed with Atlantic Records, recording two albums and having another hit with "Funky Sensation" in 1981, (#22 R&B).[1] She continued to record and the success of some of her earlier recordings on the UK's Northern Soul scene maintained her popularity as a live act in Europe.[1] McCrae moved back to Florida, recorded a one-off single for the small Black Jack label in 1984 called "Do You Know What I Mean", and then temporarily retired from the music industry.[1]

She travelled to the UK to record a couple of singles for Rhythm King in 1987.[1] Pleased with her enduring popularity in the UK, McCrae eventually recorded an entire album for the British Homegrown Records label in 1996, titled Girlfriend's Boyfriend.[1] Upon returning to the U.S., she signed with the revived Goldwax label, distributed by Ichiban Records, and recorded another album later that year, Psychic Hot Line.[1]

In 1999, the French house music duo Cassius released the single "Feeling for You", which sampled the vocals of McCrae's "All This Love That I'm Giving". It was a Top 20 hit in the UK Singles Chart.[3] The track also appeared on Cassius' album, 1999.

In 2004 McCrae released her first gospel album. In 2008, rap DJ/producer Madlib released his album, WLIB AM: King of the Wigflip which includes the song "Gamble on Ya Boy", based on a "I Found Love" sample, from McCrae's album, Melody of Life.

In the summer of 2005, McCrae teamed up with the Soulpower organization, which is also responsible for the comebacks of Marva Whitney, Lyn Collins, Martha High, Bobby Byrd and RAMP. McCrae's two-year collaboration with Soulpower resulted in more than five dozen live performances with The Soulpower Allstars all over Europe, and the 2005 release of her album Live in Paris (Hi&Fly Records.)

Gwen McCrae released her latest single "Now I Found Love" in December 2010, released through Plain Truth Entertainment. "Now I Found Love" was mixed and produced by Steve Sola and composed by David Seagal. Also in 2010, her single "Funky Sensation" was heavily sampled in the German Language single "Get Up," by DJ Thomilla featuring Afrob.