(May 26, 2025) Eddie Levert believes that everything in his life all comes down to his faith in God. From the enduring success of the music he created with the O’Jays to the strength to endure through personal tragedies and losses, Levert’s faith is what grounds and sustains him.
So, Levert has a simple answer when people ask how he dealt with the triumphs of the voice of a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted group and the tragedy of seeing three of his children pass away: “All I gotta give to them is that they gotta keep God in their life because God is the most important thing,” Levert said.
Levert said that evidence of God’s presence courses through his music. All of it. Music fans might hear evidence of the divine in a song like “Family Reunion,” but it’s there in songs like “Let Me Make Love to You” and his latest “I Wanna Love On You.”
That church influence, some might call it inspiration, is something that legendary producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff tapped into when the O’Jays became stars after signing with Philadelphia International Records. “We came and bought the gospel and spiritual side,” Levert said. “We put the church in that music.”
The combination of Levert, Walter Williams and William Powell’s powerful vocal testimonies and Gamble and Huff’s sophisticated production, arrangements and songwriting of Gamble, Huff, John McFadden, Gene Whitehead and Linda Creed proved to be irresistible. “Backstabbers” was their first hit, and the hits kept coming, even with changes in the group’s lineup.
The O’Jays’ gospel tinged sound not only led to their success, it influenced the sound of other acts on the PIR label, Levert said. It could be heard in the music of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes and throughout Teddy Pendergrass’s solo career. “Their music was always churchy because that’s the way that Leon played and that’s the way that Kenny Gamble sang, but we were able to interpret that stuff and what we brought to the table was that spiritual side,” Levert said. “And by bringing that to the table, they were able to take it and give it to Teddy Pendergrass and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. They got some of that and were able to take it to another level.”
Levert continues to perform at a high level as a member of the O’Jays, as well as a solo performer. Levert’s latest solo effort is the ballad “I Wanna Love On You.” Levert said his wife Raquel inspired the tune. “I Wanna Love On You” is a declaration of his intention to let his actions show how special she is to him. “I wrote this song to let her know that I want to kiss her in all the right places, but not just sexually,” Levert said. “But also her mind so I can touch how she really feels.”
The song is the lead single from the upcoming album I’ll Never Forget You, which is dedicated to his late sons Gerald and Sean Levert and his daughter Ryan, who passed earlier this year. As a public figure, Levert’s grief has been chronicled in news stories and on social media. Eddie Levert wants all to know how close am proud he was of Gearld, Sean and Ryan: “I was very close to my sons and my daughter because they were able to be my best friends. We were able to laugh together and laugh at each other and still have a father and (children) relationship. And I really miss that because I could talk to them about things and they really understood because they were in show business too.”
Like their father, Gerald and Sean were a part of a hit making R&B trio – Levert – along with friend Marc Gordon. Gerald Levert went on to have a successful career as a solo artist.
Eddie Levert saw how his sons grinded from the time Gerald Levert formed the group in high school through their successful run that included hits such as “Pop, Pop Pop Goes My Mind,” “Casanova” and “Just Coolin.’” Eddie Levert also watched Gerald become his generation’s Teddy Pendergrass on the strength of his skill as a balladeer and his live shows, and he’s rightfully proud. “Everybody has dreams and when you have a chance for your dream to manifest, and the thing that made it great is those were my kids and I knew their dreams,” Levert said.
Eddie and Gerald Levert produced two albums together and co-authored the book I Got Your Back: A Father & Son Keep it Real About Love, Fatherhood, Family and Friendship. The book reveals two men whose relationship transcends that of father and son, The two became friends, business partners and confidants.
Both Eddie and Gerald Levert developed reputations as soulful balladeers. Both men also were never afraid to write music that addressed the state of the world. The O’Jays dropped politically charged songs such as “Survival” in the 1970s, and the group still uses their music to speak truth to power, as their song “Above the Law” shows.
The O’Jays released “Above the Law” in 2018 in the early days of the first Trump administration and that song was directed at the man who was at that time the 45th President. “He inspired that song because his administration and what they stand for and some of the things that they do are unlawful, but they are able to get away with it because they are in power and we wanted to write a song about it,” Levert said.
It’s been five decades since the O’Jays gave us anthems like “For the Love of Money,” “Love Train,” “Now that We’ve Found Love” and “Ship Ahoy,” and all of those songs remain relevant. Eddie Levert knows why. “Because nothing has changed,” he said. “The world is still corrupt. For the love of money people steal and there are still women selling their bodies. Then there is survival, and the only way to truly survive is to have God in your life.”
By Howard Dukes
