Gerald Levert artist bio

Born: Gerald Levert, July 9, 1966 in Philadelphia, Penn. Raised in the Cleveland, Ohio area.
Died: Nov. 10, 2006 in Newbury, Ohio.

Gerald was born into a musical family; his father is singer Eddie Levert, the lead singer of the legendary soul group the O'Jays. His brother was singer Sean Levert, who died March 30, 2008. Growing up around singers helped convince Gerald to take up a music career; he was still only in his late teens when he formed the vocal trio LeVert with his brother Sean and their friend Marc Gordon.

As a trio, LeVert wound up releasing seven albums from the mid-1980s to early 1990s, four of which sold over a million copies. Among the group's biggest hits were "(Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop) Goes My Mind" in 1986, 1987's crossover smash "Casanova," and the 1989 hit "Just Coolin'," which featured rapper Heavy D. In the early '90s, LeVert disbanded and Gerald pursued a solo career.

Gerald's solo debut album, Private Line, came out in 1991 and featured a duet between Gerald and his father Eddie on the single "Baby Hold On to Me," which reached No. 1 on the R&B charts. Gerald was a prolific recording artist in the 1990s, releasing three solo albums, plus becoming (along with Keith Sweat and Johnny Gill) a founding member of the vocal trio LSG (Levert, Sweat & Gill). The group's debut album, which came out in 1997, sold over a million copies. Also in the 1990s, Gerald helped launch the careers of three Cleveland-area R&B groups: The Rude Boys, Men at Large and 1 of the Girls.

Throughout the first half of the 2000s, Gerald recorded music for himself and others; he released solo albums each year from 2001-2005, plus another LSG album in 2003. He also performed on other artists' albums, including comedian Chris Rock, Teena Marie and the rapper Styles P. On Nov. 10, 2006, he was found dead in his bed at his Newbury, Ohio home. Although it was initially reported that a heart attack may have been the cause, the local coroner eventually ruled that it was a potent mix of prescription and over-the-counter medications.

An autopsy revealed that at the time of his death, the drugs in his system included the pain relievers Vicodin, Percocet, and Darvocet, plus the anxiety medication Xanax and two over-the-counter antihistamines. The autopsy also revealed that Levert had pneumonia. The official cause of death was ruled acute intoxication and the death was ruled accidental. Gerald was 40 at the time of death.

2007: In My Songs
2005: Voices
2004: Do I Speak For The World
2003: Stroke Of Genius
2002: The G Spot
2001: Geralds World
1999: G
1998: Love & Consequences
1994: Groove On
1991: Private Line