McFadden & Whitehead
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| McFadden & Whitehead | |
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 McFadden & Whitehead |
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| Origin | Philadelphia, USA |
| Years active | 1970s |
| Genres | R&B, Funk, Disco, |
| Labels | Philadelphia International |
McFadden and Whitehead were an American songwriting, production, and recording duo, best known for their signature tune "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now". They wrote and produced some of the most popular R&B hits of the 1970s, and were primarily associated with Gamble and Huff's Philadelphia International soul music record label.
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[edit] Early career
When they were teenagers, Gene McFadden and John Whitehead formed a group called The Epsilons. They were discovered by Otis Redding and toured with him during the late 1960s until Redding's death in a plane crash in 1967.
The duo later joined Philly International Records, where they wrote hit after hit, the first being "Back Stabbers" in 1972 for the O'Jays. It became No. 1 across the board in one week.
McFadden and Whitehead also penned hits such as "For The Love Of Money," I'll Always Love My Momma," "Bad Luck," "Wake Up Everybody," "Where Are All My Friends," "The More I Want", and "Cold, Cold World". The production team also worked with Melba Moore, Freddie Jackson and Gloria Gaynor, Teddy Pendergrass, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Gladys Knight, The Jackson 5, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Lou Rawls, Archie Bell & the Drells and The Intruders, just to name a few.
[edit] Rise to stardom
McFadden and Whitehead formed together as a group officially under the name "McFadden & Whitehead" in 1977. The pinnacle of their success came in 1979 with "Ain't No Stoppin Us Now," which went to #1 on the R&B charts, #13 on the pop charts, sold 8 million records worldwide and was nominated for a Grammy award. The duo was featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show, where they sang their most famous song on an episode in which Oprah featured the top hits of the 1970s.
Other hits include:
- "I Got The Love"
- "You're My Somebody to Love"
- "I've Been Pushed Aside"
- "Got to Change"
- "Do You Want to Dance?"
- "Just Wanna Love You Baby"
- "Mr. Music"
- "This Is My Song"
- "Rainy Night In Georgia"
[edit] Death
On May 11, 2004, Whitehead was murdered while working on his car with his nephew on the street outside of his Philadelphia home. He was shot by two unknown gunmen who fled afterwards. The case remains unsolved. Whitehead was 55 years old.
On January 27, 2006, McFadden died of liver and lung cancer. He was 56.
[edit] Trivia
- "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" is the unofficial anthem of several Philadelphia pro sports teams, including the Phillies, Eagles, and 76ers. [1]
- It was also used several times as the entrance music for the former heavyweight boxing champion Larry Holmes
