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The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1958 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert, Walter Lee Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey, and Bill Isles. The O'Jays made their first chart appearance with the minor hit "Lonely Drifter" in 1963, but reached their greatest level of success once Gamble & Huff, a team of producers and songwriters, 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 US ''Billboard'' 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 The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock mus ...
in 2005, and the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2013.


Career

The group was formed in Canton, Ohio, in 1958 while its members were attending
Canton McKinley High School McKinley Senior High School is a public high school in Canton, Ohio, United States. It is the only high school in the Canton City School District and has two campuses: Downtown Campus (mostly known as Early College High School or Timken High S ...
. Originally known as The Mascots, and then The Triumphs, the friends began recording with "Miracles" in 1961, which was a moderate hit in the
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...
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. In 1963, the O'Jays released "Lonely Drifter", their first national chart hit on the '' Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at number 93. Their debut album, released shortly thereafter was ''Comin' Through''. 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,” 1966’s “Pretty Words,” and 1967’s “Oh, How You Hurt Me”. 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." In 2021, human remains discovered in 1982 at Twinsburg, Ohio, were identified as those of Frankie Little. Throughout the 1960s, the group continued to
chart A chart (sometimes known as a graph) is a graphical representation for data visualization, in which "the data is represented by symbols, such as bars in a bar chart, lines in a line chart, or slices in a pie chart". A chart can represent ...
with minor hits such as " Lipstick Traces" (which they performed nationally on the ABC television program '' Shivaree''), "Stand In for Love", "Stand Tall", "Let It All Out", "I'll Be Sweeter Tomorrow", "Look Over Your Shoulder", "Deeper in Love with You", and "
One Night Affair "One Night Affair" is a 1969 song by the O'Jays. It was released on the Neptune Records label. It is cited as one of the first disco songs. Chart performance Jerry Butler version In 1972, Jerry Butler Jerry Butler Jr. (born December 8, ...
". 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". 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. 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. Suddenly, the O'Jays released their first million-seller, " Back Stabbers", from the album of the same name. This album produced several more hit singles, including "992 Arguments", "Sunshine", "Time to Get Down", and the number 1 pop smash, " Love Train". 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)". Original member William Powell died of
cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
in 1977 at age 35. After adding Sammy Strain (of Little Anthony and the Imperials), the O'Jays continued recording, though with limited success. 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. The O'Jays' success was not confined to the United States, as they also logged nine hit singles in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
between 1972 and 1983, including four tracks that reached the top 20 on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. Their 1987 album, ''Let Me Touch You'', was a breakthrough of sorts, and included the number 1 R&B hit "Lovin' You". Though they continued charting on the R&B charts in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the O'Jays never again achieved pop success. In 1992, Sammy Strain left the group and returned to the Imperials. Strain's departure was filled by Nathaniel Best (born December 13, 1960), who was later replaced by Eric Grant. Later in the 1990s, the group did little recording, though they remained a popular live draw. Their latest album was ''Imagination'', released in 2004. In 2003, the trio co-starred in the film '' The Fighting Temptations'', which starred Cuba Gooding Jr. and Beyoncé Knowles. In the film, they played three barbers with incredible vocal harmony who joined the local church choir to help out the film's protagonists: Darrin (Gooding) and Lilly (Knowles), who were the choir director and lead singer, respectively. In 2005, the O'Jays were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Original members Eddie Levert, Walter Williams, Bobby Massey and, posthumously, William Powell, were inducted. In a note of controversy, Sammy Strain was also inducted with the group, while original member Bill Isles was not. (Strain is one of the few artists in popular music history who is a double RRHOF inductee: with the O'Jays in 2005, and Little Anthony and the Imperials in 2009). In 2006, the O'Jays performed at the ESPY awards, hosted by Lance Armstrong. "For the Love of Money" was the theme song to the hit reality TV show ''
The Apprentice ''The Apprentice'' is a reality talent game show franchise originally aired in 2004 in the United States. Created by U.S.-based British producer Mark Burnett, the show depicts contestants from around the country with various professional backg ...
,'' starring
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
, and the group once performed the song live on the show. On February 23, 2007, Radio-Canada's website reported that Canadian Industry Minister
Jim Prentice Peter Eric James Prentice (July 20, 1956 – October 13, 2016) was a Canadian politician who served as the 16th premier of Alberta from 2014 to 2015. In the 2004 federal election he was elected to the House of Commons of Canada as a candida ...
had used the song "For the Love of Money" without the group's permission during a political event, a faux pas since Prentice is responsible for the application of the Copyright Act in Canada. Radio-Canada also reported that Prentice has since been contacted by the attorneys for both the O'Jays and Warner/Chappell Music. On June 28, 2009, at the 2009
BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...
Award Show in the Shrine Auditorium, the O'Jays were honored with BET's 2009 Life Time Achievement Award.
Tevin Campbell Tevin Jermod Campbell (born November 12, 1976) is an American singer and songwriter. He performed gospel in his local church from an early age. Following an audition for jazz musician Bobbi Humphrey in 1988, Campbell was signed to Warner Bros. R ...
,
Trey Songz Tremaine Aldon Neverson (born November 28, 1984), known professionally as Trey Songz, is an American R&B singer and rapper. His debut album, ''I Gotta Make It'', was released in 2005 through Atlantic Records. His follow-up album, ''Trey Day'', ...
, Tyrese Gibson and Johnny Gill performed a medley of the group's songs, followed by the presentation of the award by Don Cornelius. The group reminisced, joked with the audience, and accepted their award before performing renditions of their hit songs. On October 30, 2010, the group performed at Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert's Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear in Washington, 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). The O'Jays were among hundreds of artists whose material was destroyed in the
2008 Universal fire On June 1, 2008, a fire broke out on the backlot of Universal Studios Hollywood, an American film studio and theme park in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County, California. The fire began when a worker used a blowtorch to warm asph ...
. Bill Isles (born William Carvan Isles II in McAdenville, North Carolina) died on March 25, 2019, at the age of 78.


Original members

* Eddie Levert (born June 16, 1942) * Walter Lee Williams (born August 25, 1943) * William Powell (January 20, 1942 – May 26, 1977) * Bobby Massey (born 1942) * Bill Isles (January 4, 1941 – March 25, 2019).


Discography


Top twenty albums

The following albums reached the top twenty on the United States ''Billboard'' 200 pop albums chart. *1972: '' Back Stabbers'' (US number 10) *1973: ''
Ship Ahoy ''Ship Ahoy'' is a 1942 American musical- comedy film directed by Edward Buzzell and starring Eleanor Powell and Red Skelton. It was produced by MGM. Background ''Ship Ahoy'' was the first of two films in which Powell and Skelton co-starred. It ...
'' (US number 11) *1974: ''The O'Jays Live in London'' (US number 17) *1975: '' Survival'' (US number 11) *1975: '' Family Reunion'' (US number 7) *1976: ''
Message in the Music ''Message in the Music'' is a 1976 album by American R&B group the O'Jays. Released in 1976 on the Philadelphia International Records label. Recorded at the Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, with six of the eight tracks written and produce ...
'' (US number 20) *1978: ''
So Full of Love ''So Full Of Love'' is a 1978 album by The O'Jays. The album contains the #1 R&B hit " Use ta Be My Girl", and was awarded RIAA Platinum Certification for sales of 1,000,000 copies. The single "Brandy" has long been speculated by many fans to b ...
'' (US number 6) *1979: ''
Identify Yourself ''Identify Yourself'' is a 1979 album by American Rhythm and blues, R&B group the O'Jays, released on the Philadelphia International Records label. It was recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, with four tracks produced by Kenny Gamble an ...
'' (US number 16)


Top twenty singles

The following singles reached the top twenty on either the United States ''Billboard'' Hot 100 pop singles chart or the United Kingdom's
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. *1972: " Back Stabbers" (US number 3; UK number 14; Canada number 39) *1973: " Love Train" (US number 1; UK number 9; Canada number 15) *1973: " Put Your Hands Together" (US number 10) *1974: " For the Love of Money" (US number 9) *1975: " I Love Music" (US number 5; UK number 13) *1976: " Livin' For The Weekend" (US number 20) *1978: " Use ta Be My Girl" (US number 4; UK number 12)


DVDs

*''The O'Jays Live in Concert'' (2010)


Gold and platinum records

Gold discs, signifying sales in excess of five hundred thousand copies (USA), were awarded by the RIAA 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 ''Ship Ahoy'' is a 1942 American musical- comedy film directed by Edward Buzzell and starring Eleanor Powell and Red Skelton. It was produced by MGM. Background ''Ship Ahoy'' was the first of two films in which Powell and Skelton co-starred. It ...
,'' ''The O'Jays Live in London,'' '' Survival,'' '' Travelin' at the Speed of Thought,'' ''
Message in the Music ''Message in the Music'' is a 1976 album by American R&B group the O'Jays. Released in 1976 on the Philadelphia International Records label. Recorded at the Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, with six of the eight tracks written and produce ...
,'' '' Emotionally Yours,'' and '' Family Reunion.'' "For the Love of Money" was used as the theme for the two reality shows ''
The Apprentice ''The Apprentice'' is a reality talent game show franchise originally aired in 2004 in the United States. Created by U.S.-based British producer Mark Burnett, the show depicts contestants from around the country with various professional backg ...
'' 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 ''Ship Ahoy'' is a 1942 American musical- comedy film directed by Edward Buzzell and starring Eleanor Powell and Red Skelton. It was produced by MGM. Background ''Ship Ahoy'' was the first of two films in which Powell and Skelton co-starred. It ...
,'' '' Family Reunion,'' ''
Identify Yourself ''Identify Yourself'' is a 1979 album by American Rhythm and blues, R&B group the O'Jays, released on the Philadelphia International Records label. It was recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, with four tracks produced by Kenny Gamble an ...
,'' and ''
So Full of Love ''So Full Of Love'' is a 1978 album by The O'Jays. The album contains the #1 R&B hit " Use ta Be My Girl", and was awarded RIAA Platinum Certification for sales of 1,000,000 copies. The single "Brandy" has long been speculated by many fans to b ...
''.


Other awards

* Black Entertainment Television Lifetime Achievement Award (awarded 2009) * National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame (inducted 2013) * Trumpet Award (awarded 2011) * Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (inducted 2005) * Vocal Group Hall of Fame (inducted 2004) * Grammy Hall of Fame (two-time inductees) for songs "Love Train" (inducted 2006) and "For The Love Of Money" (inducted 2016) * Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame (inducted 2013) * Numerous RIAA Gold and Platinum Awards (see above) * Soul Train Music Award for Quincy Jones Award for Career Achievement (awarded 2002) * National Rhythm & Blues Foundation Pioneer Award (awarded 1998) * NAACP Image Award - Hall of Fame Award (awarded 1992) * American Music Award (awarded 1990)


See also

*
List of number-one hits (United States) This is a list of songs that have peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and the magazine's national singles charts that preceded it. Introduced in 1958, the Hot 100 is the pre-eminent singles chart in the United States, currently mo ...
*
List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.) This is a list of recording artists who have reached number one on ''Billboard'' magazine's weekly singles chart(s). This list spans from the issue dated January 1, 1955 to the present. Prior to the creation of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, ''Bill ...
* List of number-one dance hits (United States) * List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart


References


External links

* * *
Detailed biography of Sammy Strain in PDF format "Lawsuit comes between members of O'Jays: Sammy Strain says Eddie and Walter "conspired" to rob him of royalties."
Accessed 3-14-08. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ojays, The 1958 establishments in Ohio American funk musical groups American soul musical groups African-American musical groups Bell Records artists Imperial Records artists Musical groups established in 1958 Musical groups from Ohio Musicians from Canton, Ohio Philadelphia International Records artists