![]() He could lobĬreative curveballs too-occasionally dipping into R. School" tag, Levert wore his R&B pedigree proudly. I thought to myself: is this what it's come to?įar from a stereotypical disgruntled artist burdened with the "old During an appearance on the show, Levert promoted an an upcoming tour sponsored by Burger King. I remember a period during the early 2000s when Levert's Made To Love Ya video briefly made the video countdown on BET's 106 &Park. Albums came and went with little fanfare. Levert's career took on the same trajectory-until he hit his mid-thirties.ĭespite an affiliation with East West/Elektra/Atlantic Records lasting for nearly two decades, Levert's label support was dwindling. Oblivious to the mainstream, they were R&B's best kept secret. Hundreds of thousands (and the millions). Luther Vandross built careers on the backs of loyal adultĪudiences who flocked to their shows and bought their records by the His soulful growl and onstage flair was passed on through his paternal bloodline courtesy of father Eddie Levert-legendary front man of the mighty OJays.Įntering the world of mid-eighties post-soul in his late teens, Levert arrived at the peak of an era where Black performers like Maze featuring Frankie Beverly and Levert set up his mini-empire in Cleveland.Īs R&B's Last Soul Man, Levert was part of the pantheon of great male soul singers preceded him who made no-frills R&B music-pure, uncut and free of crossover pandering.įrom the late eighties through the mid-2000s, the Holy Trinity of Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder and Charlie Wilson was the blueprint for young singers like Aaron Hall, Big Bub from Today, K-Ci from Jodeci, Glenn Lewis, Dave Hollister and Musiq Soulchild. Redding established his operations in his Georgia hometown. Redding, Levert was a rugged soul man with aspirational independence. Jackson and Levert's future were cut short by a consumption of prescription medication that proved fatal. Redding's fatal plane crash extinguished his lofty plans for the future. Wielding his talents like John Henry's hammer, Levert toiled heavily to chip away the granite of indifference one piece at a time. Rescue traditional R&B from the clutches of peripheral obscurity that snatched the souls of Black performers turned ice-cold like cadavers laid out on a slab of indifference, a bitter memory of what could have been. Restore his liquidity, erase debt and then walk off into the sunset with International market and the hippie love crowd. King of Soul hovering at the cusp of superstardom having conquered the Tragic passing of Otis Redding and Michael Jackson. As I reflect on Gerald Levert's career, two words come to mind: legacy unfulfilled.
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