Aw shit! Hell-to-the nawh, Gerald. Naw, Gerald...Naw!
I'm gonna miss that big, chocolate hunk of a man. I never thought he got enough recognition for his talents. Here was a man who's voice could melt like milk chocolate, but all these non-singers were at the top of the charts for making "cookie cutter" songs, with matching hooks.
Damn, Gerald!
Aunt Theldra says: Goodbye, Man!
Gerald, Gerald, Gerald.
This is as tough to handle as Marvin Gaye's death.
Woo!
My God!
"Baby I'm ready, to give you all of my love."
Sing it Gerald.
"Baby not just a little bit, I want to give you all of it."
What!
"All my kisses belong to you.....
Take my heart in your hand....
And do whatever you want to do with it baby...
My love, my love, my love, my love...
Goes deeper than the eyes can see.
I made mistakes before, but won't you please forgive me...
Baby I'm ready, to give you all of my love..."
R&B star Gerald Levert dies at 40
The singer, who was the son of O'Jays vocalist Eddie Levert, first found fame with the R&B trio LeVert, and scored a UK top 10 single with Casanova in 1987.
He also recorded as a solo artist, and worked with soul legends such as Anita Baker, Barry White and Patti LaBelle.
"Nobody was prepared for this," said LaBelle. "It's not for real to me that he is gone."
LaBelle, who said Levert was "like a son" to her, added that she hoped to perform at the singer's funeral.
Pop royalty
Levert was born in Philadelphia, and often accompanied his father on tour.
He set up his first band in 1986 with brother Sean and childhood friend Marc Gordon, naming it LeVert.
The trio were particularly successful in the US, scoring two gold albums in 1987 and 1988 before Levert left to pursue a solo career.
In 1992, he had an unexpected number one R&B hit, Baby Hold On To Me, with his father, which led to an entire album of duets, Father And Son, in 1995.
Levert also received a Grammy nomination for writing Barry White's comeback single, Practice What You Preach, in 1994.
"He was one of the greatest voices of our time, who sang with unmatched soulfulness and power," said record company Atlantic in a press statement.
"It's very sad," his friend and fellow R&B singer Will Downing told the Associated Press. "Gerald was a hard worker... He would touch the people, and that's really what it's all about."
Levert's family, including his four children, released a statement asking for privacy "at this very difficult time".
--BBC News
