Gerald Levert most recently released the duet-laden "Voices." See full imageGerald Levert on ... R&B singer dies from heart

Started with brother Sean and friend Marc Gordon the R&B group LeVert, recording five No. 1 singles and six albums. Levert recorded his first solo album in 1991. He recorded two albums as a member of the R&B trio LSG, featuring Keith Sweat and Johnny Gill.

Son of O'Jays singer Eddie Levert, Gerald possessed a voice that nearly duplicated his father's, a voice that bridged a gap from the great singers of the past to the younger audiences he attracted.

"What is most frustrating for me is Gerald had so much more music left in him. You are like, 'Wow, I wonder what the next song would have been like?' "

In 1991, Levert embarked on a solo career, recording eight solo albums. His latest, "Voices," was release in 2005 and featured duets with his father and other artists.

Detroit Pistons announcer Mason is a Cleveland native who knew the singer for more than 20 years. He said Friday that Levert was looking forward to a new reality TV show that would feature him losing weight, recording his upcoming album and going on tour.

"He meant everything he said, and he meant every song he sang," Mason said. "He meant the love and compassion he had for people. He was a fun, nice man."

The last time the two saw each other was Sept. 5, the night after Mason buried his mother, who died from complications of diabetes. Levert shared his concerns about his own mother's struggle with diabetes.

"It's a huge loss," said Muhammad on Friday after the station broke the news. "Our listeners are blowing up our phones this minute wanting to know if it's true."

"He loved Detroit, loved the energy here and has a huge fan base here," said Muhammad, who sometimes critiqued Levert's music before it was released. "This is a very big deal. Just like they love and miss Luther Vandross, just like they love and miss and Marvin Gaye, they will love and miss Gerald Levert."

"We don't have too many great male singers who are soulful," said fan GiGi Harris, 25, of Southfield. "It's a sad loss of someone who actually had talent."

Harris said her heart goes out to Levert's daughter, Carlysia, one of his four children, who was featured last year on an episode of MTV's "My Super Sweet Sixteen."

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