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Born in Bessemer, Alabama, on June 16, 1942, R&B singer Eddie Levert rose to prominence as lead singer of the O'Jays, then parlayed his success into a string of popular duets, songwriting contributions, and co-productions. A member of his church's gospel choice since childhood, he formed a vocal group with four of his high school classmates in 1958. Initially performing together as the Triumphs, the young vocalists changed their name to the O'Jays, charted their first Top 10 hit with 1967's "I'll Be Sweeter Tomorrow (Than I Was Today)," and earned a number gold and platinum records during the 1970s. 1972's "Back Stabbers," 1973's "Love Train," and 1975's "I Love Music" were among the band's biggest hits, all topping the R&B charts in America. Meanwhile, Levert also found success outside the group by co-writing Jean Can's 1979 hit "My Love Don't Come Easy" and co-producing Troop's R&B smash "Mamacita" in 1988. He later teamed up with his son, R&B hitmaker Gerald Levert, for a string of successful duets during the 1990s. The pair climbed to the top of the R&B charts in 1992 with the Number 1 hit "Baby Hold On To Me," reached Number 7 with 1995's gold-certified "Already Missing You," and hit Number 30 with 1996's "Wind Beneath My Wings." Meanwhile, Eddie Levert continued to perform with the O'Jays and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.
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