John Whitehead (singer)
John Whitehead | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | John Cavadus Whitehead |
| Born | July 10, 1948 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | May 11, 2004 (aged 55) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Genres | Disco, R&B, Philly soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, record producer |
| Years active | 1968–2004 |
| Labels | Philadelphia International |
John Cavadus Whitehead (July 10, 1948 – May 11, 2004) was an American singer and songwriter. He was best known as one of the key members of the Philadelphia International record label, and was one-half of the successful team of McFadden & Whitehead with Gene McFadden.[1]
McFadden and Whitehead wrote many hits for Philadelphia International artists, including The O'Jays and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, and had their own hit with "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" in 1979.[2]
He was the father of both members of the Whitehead Brothers, a mid-1990s duo.
Death
[edit]On May 11, 2004, Whitehead was fatally shot, possibly in a case of mistaken identity, while fixing a car outside his home in Philadelphia. Another man with him at the time suffered light injuries from the multiple shots fired by two gunmen, who fled the scene.[3] As of 2022, the murder remains unsolved.[4] Whitehead was 55 years old and had converted to Islam in 1996. He is buried in Mount Moriah Cemetery in Philadelphia.[5]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "John Whitehead | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
- ^ "John Whitehead". The Independent. May 14, 2004. Archived from the original on June 14, 2022. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
- ^ "R&B singer John Whitehead shot to death". TODAY.com. May 12, 2004. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
- ^ "'It still hurts': Family looking for answers nearly 20 years after murder of Philadelphia R&B star". fox29.com. WTXF-TV Fox29 Philadelphia. October 3, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
- ^ "John Whitehead: "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"". The Cemetery Traveller. February 22, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
External links
[edit]| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
- 1948 births
- 2004 deaths
- 2004 murders in the United States
- 20th-century American composers
- 20th-century African-American musicians
- 21st-century African-American musicians
- African-American songwriters
- African-American Muslims
- American soul musicians
- Burials at Mount Moriah Cemetery (Philadelphia)
- Converts to Islam
- Deaths by firearm in Pennsylvania
- Murdered African-American people
- American murder victims
- Singers from Philadelphia
- People murdered in Pennsylvania
- Record producers from Pennsylvania
- Songwriters from Pennsylvania
- Unsolved murders in the United States
- Muslims from Pennsylvania
- 20th-century American songwriters