Soul icon Eddie Levert of The O’Jays reflects on his journey from Canton to stardom, his favorite song “Backstabbers,” and why performing in Chicago always feels like coming home ahead of his June 6 show at City Winery (Publicity Photo).
Fun fact: Eddie Levert, one of the most revered voices in soul music history, happens to be a fan — no pun intended — of the hit song dominating 2025: “Boots on the Ground,” by 803 Fresh.
“I really love that record, but I love the southern soul,” said Levert, founding member of the legendary group The O’Jays. “I love that music because it represents the true feel-good music, the true down-home music that you always get that feeling like you on your back porch and you singing with the guitar, banjo or tambourine—just down-home,” he said.
Respectfully, Mr. Levert knows a thing or three about making feel-good soul music, especially the kind that becomes summer cookout anthems or offers timeless social commentary, having helped define 70s soul with enduring classics such as “Love Train,” “Backstabbers” and “For the Love of Money.”
And astonishingly, in his 80s, Mr. Levert is still touring and performing, 67 years after he helped found The O’Jays in Canton, Ohio. This Friday, June 6, he will bring his timeless music to Chicago’s City Winery for an intimate one-night performance.
From Canton to Center Stage
Levert grew up in Canton, Ohio —what he calls “a very small town… like living in Mayberry,” the fictional small town from The Andy Griffith Show.
“Everybody knew everybody. Everybody was in everybody’s business, and you couldn’t do anything bad because if you did, they’d go and tell your parents,” he said.
“It was like living in a small, rural city,” he said, describing the city’s tight-knit, racially segmented neighborhoods. “I got a little bit of both worlds.”
But while in high school, he would gravitate toward music during semester exams. That’s when he and his friends Walt Williams, Bill Lyles, Bobby Massie. and William Powell formed The Triumphs—just messing around in a school hallway known for its rich acoustics.
“We were just goofing around, and then we decided to start a group because we sounded pretty good,” he said.
But before he became fully committed, he had to go through his finding out phase. And what he found out was that sports, especially football, weren’t for him.
“I went to practice on the football field one day, and I was taking kickoffs,” he recalled. “So the ball took forever to get there, the guys were running down there to get me. When I woke up after they tackled me, I said, ‘No, I’m gonna sing,’” he said with a chuckle.
As the story goes, when a renowned R&B DJ by the name of Eddie O’Jay started managing the Triumphs, who were later named The Mascots, the five-man group took on his last name in 1963, but it would still be some years before they would achieve enduring success. But they got there, especially after meeting production duo Gamble & Huff and becoming one of the first signees of their Philadelphia International label.
That’s when they and The Spinners would come to own the 70s.
On His Favorite Song
While most musicians would be happy to be a “one-hit wonder” or a nationally recognized commercial jingle, few will ever attain multiple No. 1 hits, and fewer will be able to reinvent themselves, achieving success across multiple acts and phases.
With 10 No. 1 singles as a member of the O’Jay’s, hit records he’s made as a solo artist and with his late son Gerald Levert, few recording artists touch the rarefied air that Mr. Levert enjoys.
Yet, despite all that, one song is unabashedly his favorite: “Backstabbers.”
“I saw that song grow from a piano to a rhythm section to a full orchestra to my background vocals and my lead singing,” he said, “So when I heard it on the radio for the first time, I was so impressed with the sound of it and how it came together.”
He wishes he could stretch it like James Brown used to—vamping and drawing out the groove. “But being in a group, you cannot do those types of things. Everybody got to know a cue when they need to end it,” he said. “When I do my solo things, I’m able to extend it longer and have a good time with it.”
Love Songs and Social Commentary
Throughout his career, Levert has walked the line between love ballads and songs with social weight. His secret? He’s lived it all.
“All the stuff that I’ve been involved with—even the stuff I sang with my son, Gerald—were all true-life experiences,” he said. “I could actually live in those songs.”
From “Darlin’ Darlin’ Baby” to “For the Love of Money,” each track resonates because it’s real.
Advice to His Younger Self
If he could go back and speak to that young man in Canton? Levert wouldn’t talk about stage presence or vocal runs.
“I would say… it’s called the music business,” he said. “You got to read the contract. Understand what you’re signing. Later on, this could be the means your family lives off of.”
He emphasized learning an instrument, understanding production, and knowing how to handle your business.
The Chicago Connection
Certain cities hold a special place for an artist of Mr. Levert’s stature, having traveled the world many times to perform. Recently, he shared that Chicago was one of those places.
“Chicago has always been a good town for The O’Jays and a good town for Eddie Levert,” he said. “It was like going home and singing for all the people that loved you.”
What to Expect at the Show
At his City Winery show, fans can expect a mix of O’Jays classics, father-son duets with Gerald Levert, and new material—including “I Want to Love on You,” a crowd favorite that started as a live staple before becoming a single.
“I used to do it in my show before it became a record,” he said. “The crowd would end up singing it, and they didn’t even know it.”
He closed the interview on a broader note about unity: “The world started with two people… we are all kin to each other, Black or White. We are all brothers and sisters.”
For More Information
One Of A Kind – The Eddie Levert Show
Date & Time:
• Friday, June 6 at 6:00 PM (Doors open at 5:00 PM)
• Friday, June 6 at 9:30 PM (Doors open at 8:30 PM)
📍 Location: City Winery Chicago
🔗 Get Tickets & Details
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