Family, friends, and fans mourn the loss of R&B vocalist, Gerald Levert, who died last Friday of a heart attack at age 40. His family is currently making funeral arrangements but the details are not yet being released. In the meantime, they’ve issued a statement over the weekend graciously thanking everyone for all of their support and prayers."As everybody knows,” the statement reads, “Gerald was a man who loved and breathed music. To his family and friends he was a man of strong character, who had an infectious personality and a zest for life. For his fans, his greatest love was touching the hearts and souls of all people through his music. At this very difficult time, we thank you for your prayers and hope you will understand our need for privacy."
Sylvia Rhone, president of Motown Records, who helped shape the career of the adored performer, remembers Levert fondly. "I'm stunned and saddened by the news of Gerald Levert's passing,” she shared with VIBE Online today. “He was a brother to me, a trusted confidante, a loyal friend, a real soul mate. But most importantly, he was a loving son and father who blessed us with his indelible musical presence and leaves us with so many wonderful life-long memories."
Levert will not only be immortalized on wax but in the pages of a book that he and his father, legendary O’Jay’s frontman, Eddie Levert, recently penned with novelist Lyah Beth Leflore.
I Got Your Back, was initially planned as a tie-in for a Levert album of the same name and is scheduled for a summer release. The manuscript explores Gerald and Eddie’s father/son relationship, the necessity of male bonding, and importance of repairing fractured families.
Sister 2 Sister magazine reported that the two had just returned from a 10-day trip to South Africa where they met with Nelson Mandela.
According to the Washington Post, the late balladeer was also filming a reality show that featured him losing weight with 12 of his female fans, who lived and trained with him for a month.
Levert is also featured on Styles P upcoming album, Time Is Money.
