The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in summer 1958 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert, Walter Lee Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey, and Bill Isles.[3][4] The O'Jays made their first chart appearance with the minor hit "Lonely Drifter" in 1963, but reached their greatest level of success once the producers Gamble & Huff signed them to their Philadelphia International label in 1972. With Gamble & Huff, the O'Jays (now a trio after the departure of Isles and Massey) emerged at the forefront of Philadelphia soul with Back Stabbers (1972), and topped the USBillboard Hot 100 the following year with "Love Train". Several other US R&B hits followed, and the O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005, and the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2013.
The O'Jays
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The O'Jays (Walter Williams, Eric Grant, and Eddie Levert) perform at the Arie Crown TheaterinChicago, April 2010.
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | The Triumphs, The Mascots |
| Origin | Canton, Ohio, U.S. |
| Genres |
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| Years active | 1958–2024 |
| Labels | Minit, Philadelphia International, MCA |
| Members | Eddie Levert Walter Williams Eric Grant |
| Past members | William Powell Bobby Massey Bill Isles Frank "Frankie" Little Sammy Strain Nathaniel Best |
| Website | www.mightyojays.com |
The group was formed in Canton, Ohio, in 1958 while its members were attending Canton McKinley High School. Originally known as The Mascots, and then The Triumphs,[5] the friends began recording with "Miracles" in 1961, which was a moderate hit in the Cleveland area. In 1963, they took the name 'The O'Jays', in tribute to Cleveland radio disc jockey Eddie O'Jay, who was part of the powerful management team of Frankie Crocker, Herb Hamlett, and O'Jay.[6] In 1963, the group saw the release of their song "Lonely Drifter," their first entry on the US Billboard Hot 100.[5] The single peaked at number 93. Their debut album, Comin' Through, was released shortly thereafter.[5]
In the early 1960s, member Frank "Frankie" Little, Jr. joined the group as a guitarist and songwriter. He worked with lead vocalist Eddie Levert, assisting with some of the writing for the group, including 1964's "Do the Jerk" (recorded by Frank Polk), 1964's "Oh, How You Hurt Me" and 1966's "Pretty Words". He is also credited with vocals on 1962's "Down at the Corner." According to Walter Williams, "Frankie was a guitarist and songwriter in the very early O’Jays. He came with us when we first ventured out of Cleveland and traveled to Los Angeles, but he also was in love with a woman in Cleveland that he missed so much that he soon returned back to Cleveland after a short amount of time."[7] In 2021, human remains discovered in 1982 at Twinsburg, Ohio, were identified as those of Frankie Little.[8]
Throughout the 1960s, the group continued to chart with minor hits such as "Lipstick Traces"[5] (which they performed nationally on the ABC television program Shivaree), "Stand In for Love,"[5] "Stand Tall," "Let It All Out," "I'll Be Sweeter Tomorrow,"[5] "Look Over Your Shoulder," "Deeper in Love with You," and "One Night Affair." However, while they issued dozens of singles throughout the decade, they never hit the US top 40 (although "Lipstick Traces" made it to number 19 in Canada). On the R&B chart, the O'Jays were somewhat more prominent, but their only top 10 R&B single prior to 1972 was 1968's "I'll Be Sweeter Tomorrow."[5]
In spite of their success as a touring group and on the R&B chart, the group had been considering quitting the music industry in 1972. Around that time, original members Bill Isles and Bobby Massey departed, leaving the group a trio.[5] The remaining three original members, Eddie Levert, William Powell, and Walter Williams, continued recording together, and Gamble & Huff, a team of producers and songwriters with whom the O'Jays had been working for several years, signed them to their Philadelphia International label.[5] Suddenly, the O'Jays released their first million-seller, "Back Stabbers,"[9] from the album of the same name.[5] This album produced several more hit singles, including "992 Arguments," "Sunshine," "Time to Get Down," and the number 1 pop smash, "Love Train."[5]
During the remainder of the 1970s, the O'Jays continued releasing hit singles, including "Put Your Hands Together" (Pop number 10), "For the Love of Money" (Pop number 9), "Give the People What They Want," "Let Me Make Love to You," "I Love Music" (Pop number 5), "Livin' for the Weekend," "Message in Our Music," and "Darlin' Darlin' Baby (Sweet Tender Love)."[5] Original member William Powell died of cancer in 1977 at age 35.[5]
After adding Sammy Strain (ofLittle Anthony and the Imperials), the O'Jays continued recording, though with limited success.[5] In 1978, the group released "Use ta Be My Girl," which was their final top-five hit, though they continued placing songs on the R&B charts throughout the 1980s.[5] The O'Jays also saw some success in the United Kingdom, where they scored nine singles on the UK Singles Chart between 1972 and 1983, including four of which became major hits, reaching the top 20 on that chart.[10] Their 1987 album, Let Me Touch You, included the number one R&B hit "Lovin' You."[5] The O'Jays never again achieved pop success. In 1992, Sammy Strain left the group and returned to the Imperials. Later in the 1990s, the group did little recording.
On October 30, 2010, the group performed at Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert's Rally to Restore Sanity and/or FearinWashington, D.C. In Cleveland, Ohio, on August 17, 2013, the O'Jays were inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. The O'Jays are also two-time Grammy Hall of Fame Inductees for their songs "Love Train" (inducted 2006) and "For the Love of Money" (inducted 2016).[11]
Bill Isles (born William Carvan Isles II in McAdenville, North Carolina) died on March 25, 2019, at the age of 78.[3][12]
The following albums reached the top twenty on the United States Billboard 200 pop albums chart.[13]
The following singles reached the top twenty on either the United States Billboard Hot 100 or the United Kingdom's UK Singles Chart.[14][15]
Gold discs, signifying sales in excess of five hundred thousand copies (USA), were awarded by the RIAA[16] for their singles "Back Stabbers", "Love Train", "For the Love of Money", "I Love Music", and "Use ta Be My Girl"; plus for the albums Back Stabbers, Ship Ahoy, The O'Jays Live in London, Survival, Travelin' at the Speed of Thought, Message in the Music, Emotionally Yours, and Family Reunion.[9] "For the Love of Money" was used as the theme for the two reality shows The Apprentice and The Celebrity Apprentice on NBC-TV.
The following albums by the O'Jays have received RIAA platinum status indicating sales in excess of one million copies: Ship Ahoy, Family Reunion, Identify Yourself, and So Full of Love.[16]
