Interview with Walter Williams original member of the O'Jays

I'm Angie with Angieb TV I'm here in Canton Ohio with Walter Williams from The OJ's How are you? I'm fine Angie. You had a wonderful show tonight in Canton Ohio at Tom Benson Stadium. Everyone loved you. You are the

original

. of the

original

founders and

member

s of The OJ's, you and Eddie Levert founded and started The OJ's, right, that's right, uh, probably in the '60s, like 1961 or two, somewhere around there, okay, and you're a McKinley Bulldog cat. I am wonderful. Kelly loved it, um. You left early to pursue a career, okay, and you've had a wonderful career, you've been nominated for a Grammy, yes, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.

You've made a bet, Lifetime Achievement Award, Soul Train Achievement Award, lots of praise. very strange very honored I have been blessed we have been blessed and we are still on that path yes it is an honor to meet you and

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you tonight um you performed the love train used to be my girl For the love of money traitors many other songs tonight, like I said, there was a full crowd, the stadium was full, everyone loved you, I loved you, thank you, um, if someone wanted to book their ticket to The OJ's, how would they reach you?

They would have to continue. Facebook at the mighty mighty OJ's um, what do they call that? um oh man Mighty OJ Facebook or contact Toby Ludwig uh his office is in New York okay he's our manager you can do great um who were some of your musical influences growing up when I grew up there was a group called The Platters I loved them they were a great group they performed with a queen uh there was another group called The Drifters okay and of course uh Frankie Lyman and the teenagers Little Anthony and the Imperials all of the Motown acts because they were trained and taught by the same guy who trained us and taught us choreography or Mr.

Charlie Atkins, okay, they taught us the best and Gamble and helped Kenny Gambino write and produce, they were absolutely some of the best writers. and producers from the 70s to the 200s. or two thousand wonderful, wonderful, I am friends with Jermaine Byron and Ivan of four, who are your brothers, yes, they are a great band from Canton Ohio, yes, yes, and there are many musicians talented and Singers and vocalists in your family. I've heard, yeah, yeah, my dad got them right there when I was a kid and we all went to a church, St. Mark's Baptist Church, and my dad was the choir director, okay, and his wife. he was a pianist and his sister was the organs so wonderful we had the best training my dad was very good at music also wonderful and I think you came up with the name OJ's from Eddie OJ in Cleveland Ohio who was a DJ and promoted your first song is correct yeah, eddie o'jay came up after recording at king records and brought us to motown to sign barry but he didn't like the deal so he signed us we signed barry's ex wife thelma bully oh and lo they released and Eddie OJ arranged for it to be played in Cleveland Buffalo Pittsburgh and that made a wonderful noise for us and the way it happened that we became the O'Jays is because we didn't have a name that we liked.

Then Nathan, who came as a reference, had named the pets for us because he wanted two souls from the name. Well, once we left Detroit, they didn't like that name, so they said we'll call them OJ guys for now, when they come up with something. Please let us know and we will change it. One day I was sitting at home in Cleveland and on the radio they said, here's a new one from the O'Jays. Oh, that's when I found out he was a DO. Well, I like him. name OJ instead of pets, I'm sure you're doing it right, I think I think having the honor of

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ing you, thank you so much, I love being on TV and MGB, thank you.