UPDATE: THIS SHOW HAS BEEN CANCELED.
“Money, money, money.”
For ’70s’ survivors, that lyric by the O’Jays was part of the group’s Philly Soul sound. “For the Love of Money” was laced with soul, funk and R&B power.
Songs like “For the Love of Money” and “Love Train” are why the group was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. The O’Jays play The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center on March 16 at 7 p.m.
Eddie Levert and Walter Williams, of the original group, still perform with the O’Jays. They were named after an Ohio disc jockey named Eddie O’Jay, who worked with the group in its early days.
Producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff went into the studio with the O’Jays and created a hit machine. They scored 35 singles on the R&B charts, including nine No. 1 records.
The list includes: “Back Stabbers,” “Time to Get Down,” “Put Your Hands Together,” “Give the People What They Want,” “I Love Music,” “Livin’ for the Weekend,” “Use Ta Be My Girl” and “Lovin’ You.”
Levert and Williams have been singing together for nearly 65 years, and today they are joined by Eric Nolan Grant. The original group also included William Powell, Bobby Massey and Bill Isles.
Williams and Levert are still going strong.
“We still appreciate our friendship, dedication to each other and the group and our love for good music,” Williams said in a press statement. “We probably could have had great solo careers, but I don’t think either one of us could ever have been as big as The O’Jays.”
Part of the proceeds of the Get Off The Bus Concert will benefit Lake Hills School.
