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The O'Jays | |
|---|---|
 The O'Jays (Walter Williams, Eric Grant, and Eddie Levert) perform at the Arie Crown Theater in Chicago, April 2010. | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | The Triumphs, The Mascots |
| Origin | Canton, Ohio, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1958–present |
| Labels | Minit, Philadelphia International, MCA |
| Members | Eddie Levert Walter Williams Eric Grant |
| Past members | William Powell Bobby Massey Bill Isles Frank "Frankie" Little Sammy Strain Nathaniel Best |
| Website | www.mightyojays.com |
The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in summer 1958 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert, Walter Lee Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey, and Bill Isles.[3][4] The O'Jays made their first chart appearance with the minor hit "Lonely Drifter" in 1963, but reached their greatest level of success once the producers Gamble & Huff signed them to their Philadelphia International label in 1972. With Gamble & Huff, the O'Jays (now a trio after the departure of Isles and Massey) emerged at the forefront of Philadelphia soul with Back Stabbers (1972), and topped the US Billboard Hot 100 the following year with "Love Train". Several other US R&B hits followed, and the O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005, and the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2013.
- ^ Huey, Steve. "The O'Jays: Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
- ^ Backus, Rob (1976). Fire Music: A Political History of Jazz (2nd ed.). Vanguard Books. ISBN 091770200X.
- ^ "Bill Carvan Isles II January 4, 1941 – March 25, 2019". dignitymemorial.com. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
- ^ "Obituary: William Carvan Isles II, co-founder of The O'Jays, dies at 78". San Diego Union-Tribune. 5 April 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2019.