During the decade they had hit after hit, including "Time to Get Down," "Put Your Hands Together," "For the Love of Money," "I Love Music," and "Livin' for the Weekend."įounding member Powell left the group in 1975 and died of cancer two years later. The O'Jays enjoyed tremendous success over the course of the 1970s, releasing the hit albums Ship Ahoy (1973), Survival (1974), Family Reunion (1975), Message in the Music (1976), and So Full of Love (1978). The follow-up single, "Love Train," topped both the pop and R&B charts. The record's title track, featuring Levert's soulful lead vocals, became the band's first crossover hit, breaking the top five on the pop music chart and propelling them to stardom. The O'Jays' inaugural album with Philadelphia International, Back Stabbers (1972), epitomized Philly soul. The group, now pared down to a trio-Levert, Williams, and Powell-was considered a pioneer of Philly soul (also called the Philadelphia Sound or Sweet Philly), a style of soul music marked by funk influences, strong strings and horns, and gospel harmonies. A few years later, when Gamble and Huff established their own label, Philadelphia International, the O'Jays became their flagship act. The O'Jays' first single for the producers, "One Night Affair," rose to number fifteen on the R&B charts in the summer of 1969. Performing at the Apollo Theater in New York City, they met Philadelphia-based producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, who were then representing the Neptune label, distributed by Chess Records in Chicago. The group's big break would come in 1968. More would follow, including the 1967 hit "I'll Be Sweeter Tomorrow (Than I Was Today)," which landed Levert and the O'Jays their first top-ten single on the R&B charts. Their first chartmaking song, "Lonely Drifter," was released in 1963. They soon signed with Imperial Records, working with producer H. As an homage to the DJ, the group renamed themselves the O'Jays. O'Jay offered them career advice, notably suggesting a name change, and considered becoming their manager for a time. Levert and his group had an early fan-and mentor-in Eddie O'Jay, a popular Cleveland disc jockey who featured them at sock hops that he hosted. The song enjoyed moderate success in the Cleveland, Ohio, area. Before long, Cincinnati, Ohio, producer Syd Nathan had signed them to his King label now calling themselves the Mascots, the group released their first single, "Miracles," in 1961. The group began performing locally, attracting enthusiastic crowds. Launched in 1958, the quintet initially called themselves the Triumphs. At McKinley High School in Canton, Levert and Williams, together with pals William Powell, Bill Isles, and Bobby Massey, were inspired to form their own vocal group after attending a show by Frankie Lyman and the Teenagers. He began singing at an early age, first teaming up with an elementary school friend, Walter Williams, to perform as a gospel duo on local radio. When he was eight years old, his family relocated to Canton, Ohio, where he spent his youth. For Levert, musical collaboration has been a family affair as well-with son Gerald Levert he recorded two popular albums and wrote a book before Gerald's untimely death in 2006.Įdward Levert was born on June 16, 1942, in Bessemer, Alabama. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005, the O'Jays have stood the test of time, continuing to record and perform live. As the lead singer of the legendary O'Jays, the vocal group best remembered for their "Philly soul" sound, Eddie Levert lent his voice to such chart-topping tunes as "Back Stabbers," "Love Train," and "For the Love of Money." Throughout the 1970s Levert and the O'Jays racked up more than thirty hit singles, becoming a crossover success in both pop and R&B.
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