I know you believe in hard work and practice till you can do it naturally and were influenced by some of the greats like James Brown, Jackie Wilson and Gladys Knight to sharpen up your performance skills (Yeah). They had a very raw and funky danceable sound back then, which wasn’t as refined but very gritty and earthy. We used to go to Buffalo and play at the Revalot Lounge and they would open up the show before us and then back us as we sang. The Ohio Players were our back up band for a while before they started making big hits. They were very instrumental in our forming of the O’Jays because of their gospel sound and background in the way that Ron Isley sang, it certainly influenced me and Walter. They were a fantastic and exciting act for a three man group as they were all over the place. When they were doing ‘Twist and Shout’ I used to go to Detroit and see them at the Woodwood Theatre. Those two you speak of were influential, especially the Isley Brothers. What influenced you growing up in Ohio, home to the Isley Bro’s and Ohio Players around the same time? This edited interview was conducted in 2014 in issue 54 of The Soul Survivors Magazine.To get a hard copy please purchase via
So get on board the ‘Love Train’, ‘This Time Baby’ and prepare to show some ‘Unity’ if you want to see The O’Jay’s ‘Sing A Happy Song’ because ‘We’re All In This Thing Together’.
For the last 26 of them they have not graced the UK shores until this pending concert in September. The group’s ethos always aimed to ‘Give The People What They Wan’t, hence The O’Jays have been together for 56 years. Eddie became the primary lead vocalist with a voice of such distinction, albeit a ballad, mid tempo or a disco boogie groove regardless. With a few name changes, but retaining their nucleus structure, they decided collectively to ‘Put Our Heads Together’ and signed to Gamble and Huff’s PIR label. Eddie Levert and The O’Jays began their legacy as teenagers singing doo wop.
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