The O'Jays
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The O'Jays | ||
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| Background information | ||
| Also known as | The Triumphs, The Mascots | |
| Origin | Canton, OH, USA | |
| Genre(s) | Philadelphia soul, Quiet storm | |
| Years active | 1958 to present | |
| Members | ||
| Walter Williams Bill Isles Bobby Massey William Powell Eddie Levert Sammy Strain, Eric Gant |
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The O'Jays is a popular Philadelphia soul group, originally consisting of Walter Williams, Bill Isles, Bobby Massey, William Powell and Eddie Levert. The O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004 and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.
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[edit] Career
They formed the group in Canton, Ohio in 1958 while attending high school. Originally known as The Triumphs, followed by The Mascots, the friends began recording with "Miracles" in 1961, which was a moderate hit in the Cleveland area. They took the name "the O'Jays", in tribute to radio disc jockey Eddie O'Jay (Toop, 1991), in 1963 and released "Lonely Drifter", which charted nationally. Their debut LP was Comin' Through.
The O'Jays (now a quartet after the departure of Isles) had their first hit with "I'll Be Sweeter Tomorrow (Than I Was Today)"; in spite of its success, the group was considering quitting the music business until Gamble & Huff, a legendary team of producers and songwriters, took an interest in the group. With Gamble & Huff, the O'Jays emerged at the forefront of Philadelphia soul with Back Stabbers (1972), a pop hit.
During the remainder of the 1970s, the O'Jays continued releasing chart-topping singles, including "For the Love of Money", "Let Me Make Love to You", "Give the People What They Want", "Love Train", "Livin' For The Weekend", "Stairway To Heaven", "I Love Music", "Darlin' Darlin' Baby (Sweet Tender Love)", and "Message In Our Music". Powell died of cancer in 1977.
After adding Sammy Strain (of Little Anthony & the Imperials), the O'Jays continued recording, though with limited success. 1978's "Use Ta Be My Girl" was their final Top Five hit, though they continued scraping the bottom of the R&B charts throughout the 1980s. Let Me Touch You (1987) was a breakthrough of sorts, and included the #1 R&B hit "Lovin' You". Though they continued charting on the R&B charts in the late 80s and early 1990s, the O'Jays never again achieved pop success. Later in the 90s, the band did little recording, though they remained a popular live draw. Their latest album is Imagination in 2004.
In 2005, the O'Jays were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2006, the O'Jays performed at the ESPY awards, hosted by Lance Armstrong. The O'Jays will be appearing on a charity single which is being organized by Michael Jackson. "For the Love Of Money" is the theme song to the hit reality TV show The Apprentice, starring Donald Trump.
- "Backstabbers" (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- Well-known song by The O'Jays
- Problems playing the files? See media help.
[edit] See also
- List of number-one hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart
[edit] References
- Toop, David (1991). Rap Attack 2: African Rap To Global Hip Hop. New York. New York: Serpent's Tail. ISBN 1-85242-243-2.
