The O'Jays

Few vocal groups from Canton, Ohio, have left a mark as wide as the O'Jays, a band of schoolfriends whose R&B grew into one of the defining sounds of Philadelphia soul. The group took shape in 1958 while Eddie Levert, Walter Lee Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey and Bill Isles were still at Canton McKinley High School. They first called themselves the Mascots, then the Triumphs, before adopting the name O'Jays in 1963 as a tribute to Cleveland disc jockey Eddie O'Jay.

Their early releases brought modest returns, with "Lonely Drifter" giving them their first Hot 100 entry in 1963, peaking at number 93, and a run of minor hits following through the decade. The real turn came in 1971, when the producers Gamble & Huff signed them to their Philadelphia International label. After Isles and Massey left, the trio released "Back Stabbers" in 1972, their first million-seller, and "Love Train" topped the Hot 100 the following year. William Powell died of cancer in 1977, and after Sammy Strain joined, "Use ta Be My Girl" in 1978 became their final top-five hit. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.