Many times, it won’t make sense. You may ask yourself, “Why?”. But at the end of the day, unfortunately, death is something that we all have to deal with. Your friends, family and loved ones who died are no longer there in the physical sense, which can be quite traumatic. Yet, we still have to live. Losing someone you love creates an emotional pain that will never die. All we can do is cope in hopes that one day we will heal. Few know this heartbreak better than legendary singer, Eddie LeVert.
Check This Out: The Real Truth About Gerald LeVert's Death
Eddie Levert, the lead vocalist from the soul/funk/R&B group, “The Ojays”, had to bury two sons: Gerald Levert and Sean Levert. Both famous in their own right, the world was shocked to hear that Gerald passed from a lethal combination of prescription narcotics and over-the-counter drugs, then only two years later, Sean passed from a Xanax withdrawal. He was jailed for not paying child support and was denied his prescribed social anxiety medicine. Naturally, parents should not have to bury their children, but two burials in two years would drive the average person insane.
Amidst what some may call “extreme unluckiness”, Eddie makes one thing clear: “If it wasn’t supposed to be, then it wouldn’t have happened.” But this doesn’t eliminate his confusion. “I wish I could tell you that I had a sense of why, but I don’t…I still wonder: Was it something I did?” After Gerald passed, to avoid dwelling on the loss, Eddie threw himself into his work – performing with and even releasing a grammy-award-winning album with the OJays. But when Sean passed, Eddie had to......take a break. He credits his wife for keeping him grounded. “Her stability helped me get through all of that. She’s been a rock for me, a real live crutch I can lean on. She helps keep me focused. She says that I still have a purpose here, that I still have things that I have to do.” Also, Eddie supported himself by thinking positively. “I lost two sons. It’s not trivial. But compared to somebody who lost their whole family - do you understand? - I was left with something.”
When asked about Eddie Levert, Stevie Wonder said, “His tenacity is really important. He has made a choice, through all of everything, to live and do the very best that he can do. You can wallow in your pain, or you can celebrate the blessings that you’ve received. He’s one who chooses to do the latter.”
Eddie’s latest solo album, “I Still Have It” was released in 2012. Today, as a 73-year-old man, Eddie is still singing both solo shows and with the O’Jays.
Eddie has some advice for parents: “Spend time with those kids.” At the end of the day, if something happens to them, you’re going to hurt. But you won’t have regret.”
