Gabe and his older sister, Samra, born in 1972, were raised in Riverside by their parents, Andrew and Diane Roth, both of whom practiced law in the community and worked on civil rights and discrimination cases.

[5]Roth is an outspoken proponent for analog recording, having once said, "Show me a computer that sounds as good as a tape machine and I'll use it.

"[6] The distinctive, tinted glasses Roth wears on stage and in interviews are the result of eye injuries he sustained in a 2002 car accident which put him in the hospital for ten days and left him temporarily blind.

[9] [citation needed] Mann was the recording engineer for the Thunder Chicken album sessions by The Mighty Imperials.

As a member of Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, he was nominated for the 2014 Grammy Award for Best R&B Album for Give the People What They Want.