Eddie Levert (born June 16, 1942) is an American singer, and is the lead vocalist of the soul/funk/R&B vocal group, The O'Jays. Levert was born in Bessemer, Alabama, but was raised in Canton, Ohio. While attending high school, he met buddies Walter Williams, Bill Isles, Bobby Massey, and William Powell. They were motivated to sing after seeing a performance from Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. They formed the group that would later become the O'Jays 1958.