Isles left the group in 1965 and was not replaced, leaving them a quartet late in the year, they released their first-ever album, Comin' Through. Barnum, who helmed their first charting single, 1963's "Lonely Drifter," plus several more singles that followed. Under their new name, the O'Jays signed with Imperial and hooked up with producer H.B. It earned them a fan in the influential Cleveland DJ Eddie O'Jay, who gave them some airplay and career advice in turn, the group renamed itself the O'Jays in 1963, after having recorded for Apollo Records with producer Don Davis. The Mascots made their recording debut in 1961 with the single "Miracles," issued on the Cincinnati-based King label. Inspired to start a singing group after seeing a performance by Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, they first called themselves the Triumphs, then switched to the Mascots in 1960. The O'Jays were formed in 1958 in Canton, Ohio, where all five original members - Eddie LeVert, Walter Williams, William Powell, Bill Isles, and Bobby Massey - attended McKinley High School. The O'Jays were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2013. (2001), nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Traditional R&B Vocal Album, and final full-length The Last Word (2019). Their later releases included Top Ten R&B albums such as Let Me Touch You (1987) and Emotionally Yours (1991), as well as For the Love. After stringing together nine consecutive gold or platinum albums for PIR, from Back Stabbers (1972) through Identify Yourself (1979), the O'Jays continued to perform and occasionally added to their discography. The O'Jays were equally at home singing sweet love ballads or uptempo dance tunes, the latter of which were often mouthpieces for Gamble & Huff's social concerns. They worked extensively with the legendary production/songwriting team of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, and were the flagship act of the duo's Philadelphia International label with Top Ten pop hits such as "Love Train," "For the Love of Money," and "I Love Music," all three of which were nominated for R&B group vocal Grammy Awards. The O'Jays' prime recordings epitomize the Philly soul sound: smooth, rich harmonies backed by elaborate arrangements, lush strings, and a touch of contemporary funk. Rivaled only by the Spinners as soul's greatest vocal group of the '70s, the O'Jays are one of Philadelphia soul's most popular and lasting outfits.
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