Gerald Levert, a Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer and actor, became known for his soulful vocals on numerous solo and collaborative projects. He also wrote and produced several hits for R&B stars such as Anita Baker, Barry White, Chuckii Booker and New Edition among others.

Born in Canton, Ohio on July 13, 1966, Gerald grew up in Cleveland, but he also spent time on the road with his father Eddie LeVert, lead singer of The O'Jays. While in high school, Gerald formed the group Levert in 1983 with his younger brother Sean and their childhood friend Marc Gordon. They released seven albums between 1985 and 1997—four of them achieving gold status—and they had five #1 R&B singles: “(Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop) Goes My Mind,” “Casanova,” “Addicted to You,” “Just Coolin'” with Heavy D, and “Baby I’m Ready.” “Casanova” was their biggest single, which also hit #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 1991, Gerald released his first solo album Private Line, which hit #1 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart and achieved platinum status. He went on to release several gold and platinum solo albums that peaked at either #2 or #1 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart.

In 1995, Gerald and his father released the joint album Father and Son, and in 1997, he joined Keith Sweat and Johnny Gill to create the R&B supergroup LSG, which produced two albums—1997’s multi-platinum Levert Sweat Gill featuring the #1 R&B hit “My Body” and 2003’s LSG2. Gerald also got into acting, getting guest spots on The Jamie Foxx Show and The Parkers.

Gerald Levert died suddenly on November 10, 2006 from an accidental acute intoxication—a fatal mixture of prescription and over-the-counter drugs. His final solo album, In My Songs, was released in 2007 and resulted in him winning a posthumous Grammy Award in the Best Traditional R&B Performance category. On June 5, 2007, the Gerald and Eddie Levert collaborative book I Got Your Back: A Father and Son Keep It Real About Love, Fatherhood, Family, and Friendship was released, and the following week saw the release of their second and final collaborative album, Something To Talk About. In 2013, alongside The O'Jays, Gerald Levert was inducted into the inaugural class of the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame.