Sadly, R&B star Gerald Levert will have been dead for three years this week. But neither his family nor his fans have forgotten the legacy of music, performance and laughter that he left behind.

Tuesday, Nov. 10, on the third anniversary of Gerald Levert's untimely death, the Levert Foundation for the Arts will host their first fundraiser, “Wine and Words: An Evening with Lyah LeFlore.” Her mother, poet Shirley LaFlore will also be featured. 

LaFlore, a best-selling author, collaborated with Eddie and Gerald Levert on their book, “I Got Your Back: A Father and Son Keep It Real About Love, Fatherhood, Family and Friendship.”
The Levert Foundation has been active in the Leverts' Cleveland hometown, helping retain school music programs, and some proceeds from Tuesday's event will go towards funding them. The event is billed as a "tribute to mothers, wives, sistas and sistafriends" and will pay special tribute to Martha Levert, Gerald’s mother, and to Gerald.

It is an event that both Gerald and his brother, Sean, would both truly appreciate if either were alive to take part. The two brothers, who furthered their family's musical legacy by forming the hit R&B group Levert, died tragically within six months of each other.

Their father, Eddie Levert, set a fantastic example for his sons to follow. As an original founder and the lead singer of O’Jays, he set a standard for excellence with classic songs like “For the Love of Money,” “Stairway to Heaven,” “I Love Music” and other seminal 70’s hits. His sons and their cousin, Marc Gordon, would follow in Eddie’s musical footsteps by founding the group Levert and hitting with songs like “Casanova” and “Pop, Pop, Pop Goes My Mind” in the 80’s.
 
While Sean stayed out of the limelight for the most part after Gerald went solo in 1991, Gerald went on to a Grammy-winning career. His first solo effort, “Private Line,” in 1991 netted a number-one hit with the title track. He would release 10 solo albums in his career, and in 1995 he released “Father and Son,” a collection of duets with his father. That album included their version of “Wind Beneath My Wings,” which became a top-40 hit. The two had already had a number-one hit together in 1992 with “Baby Hold Onto Me” from the “Private Line” CD.

Gerald Levert would further become known for his work in the superstar trio LSG with Johnny Gill and Keith Sweat. The hitmaking threesome would release two albums in the 90’s, hitting with the number-one single, “My Body,” on their double platinum debut “LSG” in 1997. Gerald was also a notable producer, working with artists including Stephanie Mills, The Rude Boys, Barry White and the O’Jays.

After his death in 2006, attributed to a lethal combination of prescribed drugs and over-the-counter medication, the Levert family was in mourning, but moved by the outpouring of support for their son. His mother, Martha, said at the time, “We never realized how much he was loved.”

Sadly, the family would be in mourning again just short of six months later when their younger son, Sean, also died tragically. Jailed on non-payment of child support charges, Sean became ill while in custody. Despite a valid prescription, Sean was denied the anti-anxiety medication Xanax in jail, became delusional and was put in restraints. The stress apparently took its toll, and his heart stopped. His cause of death was ruled a combination of complications from sarcoidosis, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and Xanax withdrawal.

Sean Levert’s widow, Angela Lowe, has been trying to get a bill passed to ensure that inmates receive a medical evaluation while .....

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