O'Jays and 'Love Train' farewell tour making Canton stop with Gladys Knight in September

Ed Balint, The Repository
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CANTON – The O'Jays are returning to the city where the singing group's journey to stardom began for a concert on Sept. 17 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

Billed as the "Last Stop on the Love Train," the 2005 Rock & Rock Hall of Fame inductees say this is The O'Jays' final tour. Seven-time Grammy winner Gladys Knight is opening the 7 p.m. show.

The O'Jays, from left; Walter Williams, Sammy Strain, Eddie Levert and Bobby Massey pose for photos back stage after being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at an induction ceremony, Monday, March 14, 2005, in New York. (AP Photo/Ed Betz) ORG XMIT: XEJB103 [Via MerlinFTP Drop]
The O'Jays, from left; Walter Williams, Sammy Strain, Eddie Levert and Bobby Massey pose for photos back stage after being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at an induction ceremony, Monday, March 14, 2005, in New York. (AP Photo/Ed Betz) ORG XMIT: XEJB103 [Via MerlinFTP Drop]

Tickets, which start at $59, go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday. They can be purchased at www.hofvillage.com. For information about stadium suites, call 330-617-8447.

“We are honored to host this special concert as a homecoming for these legendary performers," said Mike Levy, president of operations for the Hall of Fame Village, which is presenting the event.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame and Hall of Fame Village together will donate $5 from the sale of each ticket to the O’Jay’s Scholarship Fund, which supports college-bound Ohio students, according to a news release announcing the show.

A display at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland tells of how The O'Jays began as singers in Canton. The group gained popularity nationally in the 1970s, and was inducted into the rock hall in 2005.
A display at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland tells of how The O'Jays began as singers in Canton. The group gained popularity nationally in the 1970s, and was inducted into the rock hall in 2005.

Classmates at McKinley High School

The group's ties to Canton are strong.

Classmates at McKinley High School, they initially formed as a doo-wop group called the Mascots, according to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

They later changed their name in tribute to Cleveland disc jockey Eddie O'Jay, who was a friend and mentor.

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The O'Jays are headlining a farewell tour concert on Sept. 17 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton. Special guest is Gladys Knight.
The O'Jays are headlining a farewell tour concert on Sept. 17 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton. Special guest is Gladys Knight.

Although The O'Jays made several recordings in the 1960s, the group's major hits came after they teamed with producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff.

"Known for their smooth, layered soul vocals and sleek orchestration, The O'Jays had eight No. 1 R&B singles between 1972 and 1978," the rock hall says at the group's exhibit.

Hit songs include "Love Train," "For the Love of Money," "I Love Music" and "Back Stabbers."

Original members of The O'Jays - Eddie Levert (center) and Walter Williams (right) pose with new member Eric Grant in William's Shaker Heights, Ohio, home Sept. 23, 2004. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)
Original members of The O'Jays - Eddie Levert (center) and Walter Williams (right) pose with new member Eric Grant in William's Shaker Heights, Ohio, home Sept. 23, 2004. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

The O'Jays currently includes original members Eddie Levert Sr. and Walter Williams Sr., as well as Eric Grant, who joined the group in 1995.

About 12 years ago, The O'Jays performed at Fawcett Stadium, the predecessor to Tom Benson.

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'Pinnacle of '70s soul music'

Described by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as the "pinnacle of '70s soul music," Levert, Williams, Sammy Strain, William Powell and Bobby Massey were inducted into the rock hall as part of The O'Jays.

"They were instrumental in popularizing Philly soul and the work of songwriting team Gamble and Huff," the rock hall says. "Their velvety, lush, yet funk-tinged sound establishes them as some of soul music’s finest."

The O'Jays were inducted by pop superstar Justin Timberlake.

The O'Jays during a recording session in New York City, June 1968.
The O'Jays during a recording session in New York City, June 1968.

The O'Jays earned 10 gold albums and nine platinum albums.

Classic O'Jays songs also include “Livin’ For The Weekend," "Put Your Hands Together" and “Use Ta Be My Girl.”

Honors also include induction into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2005 before receiving BET’s LifeTime Achievement Award in 2009. In 2013, The O'Jays were inducted into The Official R&B Music Hall of Fame.

'It is time for us to say goodbye'

This tour caps a long, storied career.

“This tour is a celebration of all of our lives and the struggles and joys that got us to today," Levert, a Canton native, said in a prepared statement. "It is time for us to say goodbye, and we would like to do it in person.

"Please come join us as we play the music we have shared together over the past 60 years, one last time."

This 1977 album release by The O'Jays is among the items displayed at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The singing group, with roots in Canton, was inducted into the hall in 2005.
This 1977 album release by The O'Jays is among the items displayed at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The singing group, with roots in Canton, was inducted into the hall in 2005.

O'Jays tour dates include a show Friday in Detroit at The Aretha Franklin Amphitheater, followed by several shows next month, including Aug. 6 at the Lakewood Amphitheater in Atlanta; Aug. 12 at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City; Aug. 26 in Tampa, Florida; Sept. 2 in Mobile, Alabama; and Sept. 8 in Memphis.

The group's website says more concert dates will be added.

Clothing and keepsakes from The O'Jays are displayed in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. The O'Jays were inducted into the hall in 2005.
Clothing and keepsakes from The O'Jays are displayed in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. The O'Jays were inducted into the hall in 2005.

'I Heard It Through The Grapevine'

Knight, formerly of Gladys Knight and The Pips, also boasts a career filled with accolades.

Signature songs include "Midnight Train to Georgia," "Neither One of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye)," "Love Overboard" and "I Heard It Through The Grapevine."

Gladys Knight will be a special guest at The O'Jays concert on Sept. 17 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.
Gladys Knight will be a special guest at The O'Jays concert on Sept. 17 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.

Gladys Knight and The Pips were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Their music included doo-wop, the Motown sound and '70s soul.

Knight will be among the 2022 Kennedy Center Honorees in December.

Gladys Knight performs in concert at the Paramount Theatre on February 22, 2022, in Austin.
Gladys Knight performs in concert at the Paramount Theatre on February 22, 2022, in Austin.

Reach Ed at 330-580-8315 and ebalint@gannett.com. On Twitter: @ebalintREP.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: O'Jays and 'Love Train' tour making Canton stop with Gladys Knight