The O'Jays

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	R&B, soul, disco
Years active	1958–present
Labels	Minit, Philadelphia International, MCA
Associated acts	Gerald LeVert, Teddy Pendergrass, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, LeVert
Website	www.mightyojays.com
Members	Eddie Levert* Walter Williams * Eric Grant
Past members	Bill Isles * Bobby Massey * William Powell * Sammy Strain Nathaniel Best (*Original members)

The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1958 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert (born June 16, 1942), Walter Williams (born August 25, 1943), William Powell (January 20, 1942 – May 26, 1977), Bobby Massey and Bill Isles. The O'Jays made their first chart appearance with "Lonely Drifter" in 1963, but reached their greatest level of success once Gamble & Huff, a team of producers and songwriters, 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 Billboard Hot 100 the following year with "Love Train". Numerous other hits followed through the 1970s and into the 1980s and 1990s, and The O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.

They formed the group in Canton, Ohio in 1958 while attending Canton McKinley High School. Originally known as The Triumphs, and then The Mascots, the friends began recording with "Miracles" in 1961, which was a moderate hit in the Cleveland area. In 1963, they took the name "The O'Jays", in tribute to Cleveland radio disc jockey Eddie O'Jay who was part of the powerful management team of Frankie Crocker, Herb Hamlett & Eddie O'Jay, (Toop, 1991). In 1963, The O'Jays released "Lonely Drifter," their first national chart hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #93. Their debut album, released shortly thereafter was Comin' Through.