Complete List Of The O'Jays Band Members

Feature Photo: RaymondBoyd51, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

The O’Jays, one of the most influential R&B groups in music history, trace their origins back to Canton, Ohio, in 1958. Initially formed by childhood friends Eddie Levert, Walter Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey, and Bill Isles, the group performed under the names the Triumphs and the Mascots before becoming The O’Jays in 1963. Their early career was marked by regional success, but the group’s persistence and talent eventually elevated them to international acclaim. The O’Jays reached their commercial peak in the 1970s after signing with Philadelphia International Records, where they became central figures in the Philly soul movement.

With timeless hits such as “Love Train,” “Back Stabbers,” and “For the Love of Money,” The O’Jays achieved widespread commercial and critical success. Their music blended lush arrangements with socially conscious lyrics, earning them multiple gold and platinum albums and a reputation for electrifying live performances. Over more than six decades, the group released dozens of albums and went through several lineup changes. The O’Jays were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005, and their final studio album, The Last Word, was released in 2019. The group’s official site continues to identify Eddie Levert, Walter Williams, and Eric Nolan Grant as The O’Jays while promoting their final-tour era.

Eddie Levert

Eddie Levert, born Edward Willis Levert on June 16, 1942, in Bessemer, Alabama, is a founding member and lead vocalist of The O’Jays. Raised in Canton, Ohio, Levert discovered his love for music at a young age, often singing in church and school choirs. Alongside Walter Williams, his lifelong friend, Levert became the driving force behind the group’s vocal dynamics, providing the powerful voice that defined much of their sound. His performances on major hits such as “Back Stabbers” and “Love Train” helped establish him as a cornerstone of the group.

Beyond The O’Jays, Levert collaborated with his son Gerald Levert on the album Father & Son in 1995. Eddie Levert remained with The O’Jays through decades of lineup changes and changing musical styles while maintaining the group’s signature sound. His commitment to the music and unmistakable voice have made him one of the most enduring figures in R&B history. He remains identified by the group’s official site as a member of The O’Jays.

Walter Williams

Walter Williams, born August 25, 1943, in Canton, Ohio, is another founding member of The O’Jays and one of the group’s most distinctive voices. Known for his smooth tenor and multi-range vocal style, Williams complemented Eddie Levert’s voice and helped create the rich harmonies that became a hallmark of their music. He began singing alongside Levert in church and local talent shows, laying the foundation for their decades-long partnership. Throughout The O’Jays’ career, Williams took center stage on several recordings, including “Forever Mine” and “Use Ta Be My Girl.”

Williams also contributed significantly to the group’s stage presence and live performance style. He continued performing with The O’Jays through the group’s later years and farewell-tour era. Along with Eddie Levert, he represents the direct link between the group’s 1958 formation and its modern lineup. The O’Jays’ official site continues to list Walter Williams as a member alongside Levert and Eric Nolan Grant.

William Powell

William Powell, born January 20, 1942, in Canton, Ohio, was a founding member of The O’Jays and a key part of the group’s early success. Powell’s rich voice added depth to the group’s harmonies, and his stage presence made him an integral member during their formative years. His contributions were especially important during the group’s rise to fame in the 1970s on albums such as Back Stabbers, Ship Ahoy, Survival, and Family Reunion.

Powell was diagnosed with cancer in the mid-1970s and eventually had to retire from live performing, although he continued recording with the group for a time and appeared on Message in Our Music in 1976. He died on May 26, 1977, at the age of 35. Sammy Strain replaced Powell in the performing lineup. Powell’s recordings remain part of the classic O’Jays sound that established the group as one of the defining acts of Philadelphia soul.

Bobby Massey

Bobby Massey, born March 9, 1942, in Detroit, Michigan, was one of the original members of The O’Jays. As a vocalist and songwriter, Massey contributed to the group’s sound during its early years, helping shape its identity before the major Philadelphia International breakthrough. He performed with the group through the 1960s as The O’Jays developed from a regional act into an increasingly successful R&B vocal group.

Massey left The O’Jays in 1971 to pursue work in music production and artist development. His departure left Eddie Levert, Walter Williams, and William Powell as the trio that entered the group’s most commercially successful era. Massey’s early work nevertheless remained an important part of the foundation on which The O’Jays built their later success. He was one of the four O’Jays members inducted by name into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.

Bill Isles

Bill Isles, born January 4, 1941, in North Carolina, was a founding member of The O’Jays and an important part of their early years. Isles provided vocal support and helped create the group’s harmonies, contributing to the recordings and performances that established their presence before the major hits arrived. He was part of the original group formed in Canton in 1958.

Isles left The O’Jays in 1965 to focus on family and other pursuits, stepping away years before the group achieved its greatest commercial success. Walter Williams later recalled that Isles returned for a period as the group’s tour manager after The O’Jays became successful. Isles died on March 25, 2019, at the age of 78. His role in forming the group remains an important part of The O’Jays’ history.

Frank “Frankie” Little Jr.

Frank “Frankie” Little Jr. was an early member of The O’Jays during the 1960s, although he was not one of the five founders. Little worked with the group as a guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter and joined them during part of their early development before the Philadelphia International years. He collaborated with Eddie Levert on songs including “Oh, How You Hurt Me” and “Pretty Words” and is credited with vocals on the early recording “Down at the Corner.”

Little traveled with The O’Jays during the period when the group ventured to Los Angeles but eventually returned to Cleveland. He later served in the U.S. Army, including service during the Vietnam War. Human remains discovered in Twinsburg, Ohio, in 1982 were identified in 2021 as Little’s, and authorities ruled his death a homicide. His brief but documented period with The O’Jays makes him part of the group’s complete membership history.

Sammy Strain

Sammy Strain joined The O’Jays in 1976 after William Powell became too ill to continue performing. Strain was already an accomplished tenor who had spent years with Little Anthony and the Imperials. His arrival restored The O’Jays to a three-man vocal lineup alongside Eddie Levert and Walter Williams.

Strain remained with The O’Jays through the late 1970s and 1980s, appearing during a period that included albums such as Travelin’ at the Speed of Thought, So Full of Love, and Let Me Touch You. The group scored another major pop hit with “Use Ta Be My Girl” after his arrival. Strain left The O’Jays in 1992 and later returned to Little Anthony and the Imperials. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with The O’Jays in 2005 and again with Little Anthony and the Imperials in 2009.

Nathaniel Best

Nathaniel Best joined The O’Jays after Sammy Strain’s departure, singing with Eddie Levert and Walter Williams during the early 1990s. He was part of the lineup associated with the group’s continuing R&B career after its long Philadelphia International period. Best’s tenure covered the era of albums including Emotionally Yours and Heartbreaker.

Best remained with The O’Jays until the mid-1990s. The Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame identifies his tenure with the group as 1993 to 1995. He was succeeded by Eric Nolan Grant, who became the long-running third member alongside Levert and Williams.

Eric Nolan Grant

Eric Nolan Grant joined The O’Jays in 1995, becoming the third vocalist alongside founding members Eddie Levert and Walter Williams. His arrival established the lineup that represented The O’Jays through the group’s later recording and touring years. Grant appears on later albums including Love You to Tears, For the Love…, Imagination, and the group’s final studio album, The Last Word.

Grant helped carry The O’Jays’ three-part vocal sound into the twenty-first century while performing a catalog built across generations of R&B and soul history. The group’s official website continues to list Eric Nolan Grant with Eddie Levert and Walter Williams and identifies him as having joined in 1995. That lineup has represented The O’Jays during the group’s farewell-tour era.