Part 1 - The Light It may seem odd that a career that has spawned to date 17 gold and platinum records, 15 #1 hits as writer, producer, or performer, and countless stellar collaborations, began in darkness. But, imagine a young child, son of a legendary entertainer, who relinquishes his father to the road at an early age. Imagine the loneliness of this child who must share his daddy with the world. Then, imagine his elation when he realizes that the darkness that has hidden his father away will also be the light. This is revealed when young Gerald discovers the gift of music. While growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, other kids played cops and robbers, but Gerald and his friends pretended to be the O'Jays. Their skateboards and bikes were their tour buses and limos. They were performing their own original songs by the time they were preteens. Not that they were child prodigies per se, they were just damn good students. They learned the abc's of rhythm and blues from Daddy Levert, and family friends like Teddy Pendergrass and Marvin Gaye. Young Gerald soaked up performance potion and sex-symbol serum like he was starved. He learned by watching, and more importantly, by doing. By his late teens, Gerald had parlayed his child-play into a fledgling career as a songwriter. He composed song after song for his father's group, but learned that sometimes it ain't who you know. The O'Jays passed on the songs, but the cloud of rejection had a platinum lining. Gerald, his buddy Marc Gordon, and his little brother Sean recorded the material for what would become LeVert's debut LP I Get Hot. With Gerald out in front, the trio's full-bodied vocals poured over sleek beats earned them much fanfare and a bigger platform for the release of their follow up LP Bloodline. Named in honor of their father's living legacy, the set secured LeVert's first gold record and #1 single entitled "Pop Pop Pop Goes My Mind". It was the first success of many. LeVert's third LP The Big Throwdown rode the smash single "Casanova" to gold status, while earning the group two Soul Train music awards. This album upped the ante for LeVert, positioning the group to keep the family tradition alive by leaving a trail of hit albums and singles. By the end of their run, the fun-loving yet heartfelt antics of LeVert had garnered the group six gold albums.