Sean Levert, the 39 year old son of O'Jays vocalist Eddie Levert and himself one third of R&B outfit LeVert, has died just a week after being jailed in Cleveland, Ohio for failing to pay child maintenance. The singer died just an hour after being rushed to a near by hospital from the jail where he had begun a one year ten months sentence last week.
A coroner's spokesman said an autopsy had been inconclusive regarding the cause of death, though he confirmed that foul play had been ruled out. He added that Levert suffered from high blood pressure and had been hallucinating in jail, and that toxicology reports should provide more clues regarding cause of death, but that they could take several weeks to come through.
The judge who jailed Levert last week has told reporters that the singer gave no indication of ill health when being sentenced, but that he had admitted to having been addicted to marijuana from the age of 14 until recently. Levert's brother Gerald, another member of LeVert, died in 2006 after taking an accidental overdose of prescription drugs.
Sean enjoyed quite a bit of success, especially in the US, performing as LeVert with brother Gerald and school friend Marc Gordon. In 1995 he launched a moderately successful solo career, though didn't enjoy the same level of solo success as Gerald.