The Life of Gerald Levert

Following his father’s tradition, Gerald Levert has carved out a successful career as a writer, arranger, producer, and performer. The son of Eddie Levert Sr., vocalist and lead arranger of the longstanding R&B group the O’Jays, Gerald Levert produced a string of top-selling albums and singles, first as a member of the trio LeVert, then as a solo artist. After releasing five albums with LeVert—four of which achieved gold- or platinum-selling status—Levert began recording on his own. The artist’s solo career is marked by such albums as Private Line, Groove On, Love & Consequences, and G. Levert “has such an incredible and creative way of expression, and it sounds like he’s really lived what he’s talking about,”Michael Saunders, a radio executive at WJLB and WMXD, two Detroit R&B radio stations, told Billboard. “That’s what people want today: They want to hear the truth.”

Born on July 13, 1966, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which was homebase for the O’Jays, Levert was raised in Cleveland, Ohio. Fueled by the musical household he grew up in—and access to his father’s fullyequipped studio—Levert formed a trio with his brother Sean and friend Marc Gordon. While still in high school, the group began performing at clubs in Ohio under the name LeVert. The group released its first single, “I’m Still,” on the independent record label Tempre. In 1985 “I’m Still” peaked at number 70 on the Billboard R&B charts and led to a record deal with Atlantic Records the next year. Read More here…