John Whitehead (musician)

John Whitehead (* 2. July 1948 (other sources mention 10 July 1948); † 11. May 2004 in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania ) was an American R & B - musician and producer .

Whitehead and singer Gene McFadden were kids when they formed The Epsilons, later discovered by Otis Redding . After they had signed a contract with Stax Records , a first success came with the song The Echo .

In the 1970s, Whitehead and McFadden became successful songwriters for Philly International Records . They wrote and produced hits for other artists such as Back Stabbers , For the Love of Money , I'll Always Love My Mama , Wake Up Everybody or Where Are All My Friends .

As a singer, they became famous in 1979 with the self-written song Ain't No Stoppin 'Us Now . The Grammy Award- nominated song sold more than eight million copies and became a number one hit on the Billboard R&B charts. The song also became the unofficial anthem for the Phillies and the Eagles. Later releases of the duo no longer achieved the success of their number one hit.

After spending some time in jail for tax evasion in the 1980s, Whitehead embarked on a solo career. In the years that followed, McFadden and Whitehead performed together a few more times.

On May 11, 2004, Whitehead was working with his friend Oemidd Johnson on a car behind their Philadelphia home when two men opened fire on them. Johnson was hit in the buttocks by a bullet and survived seriously injured. Whitehead - 55 years old - was killed by a hit in the neck; there is talk of an execution.

Web links

• John Whitehead at Allmusic (English)
• John Whitehead at Discogs (English)