Son of The O'Jay's Eddie LeVert, Gerald LeVert was born into the industry.  He often traveled with his father and the band, and eventually, he created his own trio, named simply LeVert, with his younger brother, Sean, and his friend, Marc Gordon.  The trio started in 1984 and released seven albums, four of which went platinum.

Gerald LeVert

I wanted to just write, that was my intentions but I started seeing the reactions I got from singing. I said let me try this. I kept writing and singing songs to people trying to get my stuff out there and then finally something popped.

Music in the Blood

Son of The O'Jay's Eddie LeVert, Gerald LeVert was born into the industry.  He often traveled with his father and the band, and eventually, he created his own trio, named simply LeVert, with his younger brother, Sean, and his friend, Marc Gordon.  The trio started in 1984 and released seven albums, four of which went platinum.

In 1991, Gerald LeVert released his first solo album, Private Line, which climbed to #1 on the Billboard Top R&B chart.  His first single, the title track, became his first #1 solo hit, followed by Baby Hold On To Me, a duet with his father, which also went to #1.  In all, the album spawned four Top Ten singles, but only the song, Casanova, crossed over to the pop charts.

A Diverse Musician

LeVert followed up his 1991 success with Groove On in 1994.  Included on the album was I'd Give Anything, a  cover of Boy Howdy's country song, She'd Give Anything.  Meant for crossover appeal, the song peaked at #4 on the R&B charts, but only #28 on the pop charts.  

During this time, LeVert was also lending his talents to collaborations and songwriting for other artists.  In the mid 1990s, he worked with newcomers, The Rude Boys, Men at Large, and 1 of the Girls, helping them release their debuts and promote their efforts.  In 1997, he partnered with Keith Sweat and Johnny Gill, to form the supergroup, LSG, who released an album later in the 2000s.  While working with others and performing, he was continuing to record, and had released six more albums by the end of 2004.

Tragic End

In 2005, Gerald LeVert released his tenth album, Voices, which was a compilation of duets he had performed throughout his career.  Included were artists such as Vanessa Williams, Kelly Price, Teena Marie, and Eddie LeVert, Sr.  In 2005, the album appeared in the Soundscan Top 200 for album downloads, and the singles are still in demand on various music sites.

In November, 2006, LeVert died.  He had been diagnosed with pneumonia and was taking a number of prescription pain medications for shoulder and Achilles tendon injuries in addition to over-the-counter antihistamines;  his death was ruled accidental.  He had completed his most recent album, In My Songs, which was released posthumously.  

Did you know . . .

1. During his career, Gerald LeVert won one BET Award, one Grammy Award, one Image Award, and two Soul Train Awards.  All but the Soul Train Awards were awarded posthumously.

2. In 1999, Levert sang the backup music for Chris Rock's comedy album, No Sex (In the Champaign Room).

3. Before his death, Gerald LeVert completed a memoir with his father, titled I Got Your Back.

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