There are many who hold the belief that musicians of yesteryears would give room to recent ones to keep up with changing times, yet, Eddie Levert has proven that he is no pushover. As an iconic musician who trades his gifts in the R&B, soul, Blues, and gospel genres of music, it is not surprising that he still dazzles fans. Admittedly, he does this as a solo musician as well as the frontman of The O’Jays, an R&B band. Through his career exploits, he has released four solo albums as well as enjoyed success with the band.
Away from his singing prowess, Levert has been married twice. Also, he has suffered tragedies that no parent should suffer when he lost his two sons, Gerald and Sean in 2006 followed two years later with Sean’s death. For a man who has suffered such tragedies, everyone is curious to take a close look at his life.
82-year-old Eddie Levert is Still Singing with the O’Jays
Levert is still an active musician who fronts The O’Jays band. It would be recalled that the band was formed in 1958 in Ohio through a collective effort of Levert and four other high school classmates namely Walter Lee Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey, and Bill Isles.
At first they called their group the Triumps and when they started getting exposure, they changed the name. Over the next few years, the band released many songs including the chart topping Back Stabbers and Love Train among many others. Since then, the group has remained active despite a change in its lineup. In all this, Levert remained an active member The O’Jays while launching a solo career that has led to the release of 4 albums.
A Look at His Life Before Fame
He was born Edward Levert on June 16, 1942 in Besemer, Alabama but he did not grow up there. His family moved to Canton, Ohio when he was six and it was there that he grew up. Levert’s childhood was filled with church activities which would have an influence over his career choice.
Reportedly, it was while singing in church choir that he honed his skill. Eventually, his skilled singing made him standout during school plays. Also, he became a regular perfromer for a gospel radio show.
The Musician Has Been Married Twice
Considering that Levert chose to focus more on showcasing his career, not many are aware of his love life. He was married twice.
He got married to his first wife, Martha Lee Byrd in 1966. During the marriage, Martha was also known as Martha Levert. Noticeably, Martha stayed in the background while supporting Eddie. Also, she gave birth to their children, Gerald and Sean Levert in 1966 and 1968 respectively. Despite their seemingly normal family, the marriage ended in divorce.
As with many celebrity marriages, many were curious about what led to the divorce. The did not reveal what transpired but a little snippet from a book Eddie co-authored with Gerald, we gathered that Martha was a strong woman who tolerated so much from Eddie while he was touring. Sadly, she passed away in 2020.
Following the failure of his first marriage, the Ohio-raised singer gave love a chance agai. He got married to Raquel Capelton in 2005.
How Many Children Does Eddie Levert Have?
As mentioned earlier, The Triumphs lead vocalist welcomed two children with his ex-wife Martha. Yet there are sources that claim he had other children who are identified as Ryan Levert and Candice Brooks.
Regarding Candice, we gathered that she is his late wife’s daughter but we could not verify if he is her father or not. On Ryan’s part, she is his youngest child.
A close look at Levert’s life shows that he had a cordial relationship with his sons, Gerald and Sean. The boys are said to have a deep admiration for their father’s career such that they made the choice to follow in his footstep in 1984. From that point onward, they invested so much into their career.
Together with Marc Gordon, Levert’s children sang in Levert, a group that Gordon started. Through their career exploits, the group released seven albums.
Aside from their musical pursuit as a group, they also went on tours with their father.
See Also: Bobby Massey: Everything To Know About The Singer
He Lost his Sons Within Two Years
Like fame, Levert’s losses have also drawn attention to the musician’s private life. He lost his sons within two years. He lost Gerald on 2006 due to complications from his drug prescription.
This was followed in 2008 by the death of Sean. According to the reports, Sean died after a jail emergency at the Cuyahoga county Jail. At the time he was serving a 10 month sentence for an $85,000 child support.
Prior, Sean had suffered from high blood pressure in the past and this worsened as he started hallucinating during his incarceration.
