The OJays Biography

The O’Jays were originally formed in 1958 in Canton, Ohio, by members Walter Williams, Eddie Levert, Bobby Massey, William Powell, and Bill Isles. They first hit the charts with the single “Lonely Drifter” in 1963, before Isles departed from the group, leaving them as a quartet just before releasing their debut album. Coming Through was released in 1965, and the single “I’ll Be Sweeter Tomorrow (Than I Was Today)” reached into the Top 10 on the R&B charts, bringing the O’Jays into the music forefront.

Massy left the group in the early 1970’s, but the O’Jays moved forward as a trio, surfacing to the top of Philadelphia soul in 1972 with Back Stabbers and the single “Love Train,” which rose to number one. The album launched a non-stop series of highly successful singles and albums for the remaining decade, landing nearly thirty songs on the charts. Hit albums like Ship Ahoy (1973), Survival (1975), Family Reunion (1975), Travelin' at the Speed of Thought (1977), So Full of Love (1978), and Identify Yourself (1979) launched hit singles such as "For the Love of Money," "Let Me Make Love to You" "Give the People What They Want,” "I Love Music, Pt. 1,” "Useta Be My Girl,” before the O’Jays took a hiatus.

The O’Jays resurfaced in 1987 with the album Let me Touch You, bringing them into a more contemporary urban sound.  Serious followed in 1989, bringing the O’Jays a hit with the song "Have You Had Your Love Today?,” and the albums Emotionally Yours (1991) and Hearbreaker (1993) also fared well.  The album Love You to Tears brought the O’Jays to the end of the millennium in 1997, and For the Love… was released in 2001.

The O’Jays have continued to tour and perform, most recently having performed at the ESPY Awards in 2006 and at Stephen Colbert’s Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear in 2010. The O’Jays single “For the Love of Money” is also featured as the theme song to Donald Trump’s show, The Apprentice. The O’Jays were honored with BET’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009 and they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.