GERALD LEVERT: Dead At 40
By Karu F. Daniels, AOL Black Voices
Sources confirmed to The BV Newswire that Gerald Levert is dead of an apparent heart attack.
Immediate details on the death of the beloved R&B crooner were not known at press time.
He turned 40 years old in July.
One of several from the musical Levert family --his father, Eddie Levert, is the lead singer of the legendary soul group The O'Jays -- he was a founding member and the lead singer of the 1990's R&B trio LeVert, who scored big hits with "Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop (Goes My Mind)", "Casanova", and "ABC-123."
Levert, born in Cleveland, Ohio, was also apart of R&B supergroup LSG, comprised of platinum selling R&B crooners Keith Sweat and Johnny Gill.
As a solo artist, Levert garnered a cult following with a string of R&B ballads ("I'd Give Anything (to Fall in Love)", "You Got That Love") from his numerous album projects on East West/Elektra Records.
"I’m stunned and deeply saddened by the news of Gerald Levert’s passing," Motown Records President Sylvia Rhone said in a statement released to Black Voices today. The Harlem native, who is regarded as the highest ranking woman in the music business, shepherded Levert's career from its early days (where she served as a top ranking radio promotion executive at Atlantic Records).
Rhone was instrumental with Levert's burgeoning solo career and oversaw the production of his albums and his marketing. "He was a brother to me; a trusted confidante, a loyal friend, a real soul mate. But most importantly, he was a loving son and father who blessed us with his indelible musical presence and leaves us with so many wonderful lifelong memories."
Over the years, the vocal powerhouse has collaborated with Patti LaBelle, Miki Howard, Kelly Price, Teena Marie, Chris Rock and with his father on many different occasions.
