On Friday, Nov. 10, the music community lost another star, Gerald Levert. In a time when we have songs such as “In Those Jeans,” “Air Force Ones,” and “Bootylicious,” Gerald Levert was a welcomed throwback to R&B soul in the modern era. Now don’t get me confused - I’m not saying Gerald didn’t “go there.” He was known for singing those bedroom grooves ala Barry White and the Isley Brothers, but like them, he did it with style and substance, something that is missing from the repertoire of today’s singers.
My first recollection of Gerald Levert was when he sang with his brother Sean Levert and neighborhood friend Marc Gordon, in the group LeVert. I can recall, as my sister and brother watched Video Soul on BET, seeing LeVert singing “Casanova” and “Just Coolin,” featuring the Overweight Lover Heavy “diddley, diddley, diddley” D. Gerald went solo in 1991, and he and his father Eddie Levert Sr. of the O’Jays, would put out a song that remains a jam to this day, “Baby Hold On To Me.”
When I got the news from a friend that Gerald Levert had died of a heart attack, I was shocked beyond measures. Although he was big in stature, at the age of 40, he seemed too young to pass away. I couldn’t help but to think about his children, and wonder how his parents were handling his loss. No parent wants to bury their children - that’s like your worst nightmare coming true.
As the days continue to go by, I realize that the passing of Gerald Levert really has had an affect on me. Although I was not a “Huge” fan, I appreciated and respected his work. In my eyes, there was not a song Gerald could not sing. BET referred to him as their “go to guy.” I think that title is more than appropriate. Whenever there was a tribute show, or a song sung in someone’s honor, you could count on Gerald Levert to be in the mix. My fondest memory was when Gerald put on a show during Patti LaBelle’s Walk of Fame celebration. Seeing him roll around on the floor imitating Patti was a moment I will never forget. To learn that he accepted the engagement in less than a week’s time, makes me even more impressed by his showmanship and stage presence.
The death of celebrity is so far removed from us as common folk, or is it? When we invite these people into our homes by watching them on TV, they become a part of our lives whether we realize it or not. Although I never met Gerald Levert in person, I considered him to be one of “my boys.” Gerald Levert did not achieve mainstream status like some of his predecessors who also died early in age (Otis Redding, Sam Cooke and Luther Vandross), but he is still an R&B legend in his own right.
According to the book of Ecclesiastes, “To everything, there is a season.” Unfortunately for us, it was Gerald’s season to go, but the Lord knows best.
For information on heart disease, visit http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/library/fs_men_heart.htm.
