Rest Peacefully, Gerald
Gerald LeVert
1966-2006
Since I first learned of Gerald's passing this afternoon he has been heavy on my mind. I was just sitting here listening to DJ Maurice Watts playing some classic Gerald and it reminded me about the type of guy he was.
You see, I never met him personally but I felt like I always knew him. Let me explain, beyond just watching him, his dad and brothers perform and by watching his daughter experience her Sweet 16 on TV, I've had brushes with Gerald's spirit.
The first was through a member of a group from the early 90s discovered by Gerald called the Rude Boys . I had an unfortunate encounter with them during their one hit wonder days when they came to my hometown to do a TV show hosted by Dominique DiPrima.
The next time I had a brush with Gerald was while working in publishing. The project we were working on was called Black Men: In Their Own Words. Gerald's was one of the interviews we pored over for inclusion in the book. His story really struck me. He told of how his parents suffered marital and financial woes and how he was forced to step up and take charge. He formed LeVert and pulled his family out of debt thereby renewing their relationship. It was a touching story. Of course the final version published in the book is much shorter than the interview but it gives insight into the man that Gerald was.
Also included in the book was the reverent Ed Bradley, the multi-talented Gordon Parks and the venerable Ossie Davis. If you've never seen this book you may want to pick it up and share it with a young brother who needs role models. I not only contributed to the editing of many of the stories but I also provided most of the photo research/editing of the book. If you know me personally, look for my name on the acknowledgements page. In any event, it's a great coffeetable book and a fantastic gift full of the personal stories of our beautiful black soldiers.
1966-2006
Since I first learned of Gerald's passing this afternoon he has been heavy on my mind. I was just sitting here listening to DJ Maurice Watts playing some classic Gerald and it reminded me about the type of guy he was.
You see, I never met him personally but I felt like I always knew him. Let me explain, beyond just watching him, his dad and brothers perform and by watching his daughter experience her Sweet 16 on TV, I've had brushes with Gerald's spirit.
The first was through a member of a group from the early 90s discovered by Gerald called the Rude Boys . I had an unfortunate encounter with them during their one hit wonder days when they came to my hometown to do a TV show hosted by Dominique DiPrima.
The next time I had a brush with Gerald was while working in publishing. The project we were working on was called Black Men: In Their Own Words. Gerald's was one of the interviews we pored over for inclusion in the book. His story really struck me. He told of how his parents suffered marital and financial woes and how he was forced to step up and take charge. He formed LeVert and pulled his family out of debt thereby renewing their relationship. It was a touching story. Of course the final version published in the book is much shorter than the interview but it gives insight into the man that Gerald was.
Also included in the book was the reverent Ed Bradley, the multi-talented Gordon Parks and the venerable Ossie Davis. If you've never seen this book you may want to pick it up and share it with a young brother who needs role models. I not only contributed to the editing of many of the stories but I also provided most of the photo research/editing of the book. If you know me personally, look for my name on the acknowledgements page. In any event, it's a great coffeetable book and a fantastic gift full of the personal stories of our beautiful black soldiers.
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