- formed 1958, Canton
- 5 Dutch Top 40 hits
The O'Jays is a group, formed in 1958 in Canton. Over the years, Arlester “Dyke” Christian, Walter Williams, James Williams, Sammy Strain and Eddie Levert played in the group. There is no album of their own in the collection, but the group does appear on one album by others: NOW Presents... Classic Soul. Five records reached the Dutch Top 40. The highest was Let's Clean Up the Ghetto: number 7 in week 39 of 1977.
Source: MusicBrainz and Discogs
Timeline of The O'Jays
The members of The O'Jays over the years: five members, with the years they belonged to the group, including anyone who left for a while and came back. The red lines are the entries in the Dutch Top 40. Point at a line and click for the weekly chart. A linked name has its own page.
The O'Jays
Arlester “Dyke” Christian†Walter WilliamsJames WilliamsSammy Strain
Eddie Levert1960197019801990200020102020Member of the groupDutch Top 40Still a member
Appears on
The O'Jays is on this site on one album by others: NOW Presents... Classic Soul. The album lists the track concerned.
The O'Jays in the Dutch Top 40
The O'Jays had five records in the Dutch Top 40. The best-charting record comes first; the badge shows the peak position, the title opens the full run.
week 39, 197733weeks in the chart
with 5 records1972first entry
week 42, 19721978latest entry
week 35, 19785years with an entry
-
1977Dutch Top 40: peak position 7 in week 39 of 1977, 8 weeks in the chart Let's Clean Up the Ghetto
The Philadelphia International All-Stars, Lou Rawls, Billy Paul, Archie Bell, Teddy Pendergrass, The O'Jays, Dee Dee Sharp Gamble8:41 -
1972Dutch Top 40: peak position 11 in week 45 of 1972, 7 weeks in the chart Back Stabbers
The O'Jays3:06 -
1973Dutch Top 40: peak position 19 in week 2 of 1974, 7 weeks in the chart Put Your Hands Together
The O'Jays4:07 -
1978Dutch Top 40: peak position 19 in week 32 of 1978, 6 weeks in the chart Use ta Be My Girl
The O'Jays3:18 -
The O'Jays7:20
All Dutch Top 40 entries of The O'Jays
Source: top40.nl
Awards and honours
The O'Jays received 4 awards and honours, oldest first.
- 1990American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Band/Duo/Group
- 1991NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Duo or Group
- 1992NAACP Image Award – Hall of Fame Award
- 2005Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Frequently asked questions
When and where was The O'Jays formed?
The O'Jays was formed in 1958 in Canton.
Who played in The O'Jays?
Over the years that was Arlester “Dyke” Christian, Walter Williams, James Williams, Sammy Strain and Eddie Levert. The timeline shows for each member the years they belonged; the names are also in the side column.
Which Dutch Top 40 hits did The O'Jays have?
Five records made the Dutch Top 40. The best-charting record is Let's Clean Up the Ghetto, which reached number 7 in week 39 of 1977. The graph next to each record shows its run from week to week.
Which albums by other artists feature The O'Jays?
On one album: NOW Presents... Classic Soul (Various). Each album lists the tracks concerned.
Which awards has The O'Jays won?
The O'Jays received 4 awards and honours: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2005), NAACP Image Award – Hall of Fame Award (1992), NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Duo or Group (1991) and American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Band/Duo/Group (1990). The full list is on this page under Awards and honours.
Where can you find The O'Jays online?
Through Wikipedia, the official website, Facebook, YouTube, Bandcamp, SoundCloud, Apple Music and Spotify. The links are in the side column of this page.
Where can you see and hear The O'Jays?
The Dutch Top 40 entries have a round Spotify button. A cover opens the album with the tracks per side and the whole album on Spotify. The music plays in the player at the bottom and keeps going while you browse on, after one-time consent for Spotify.
Keep exploring
If you have landed here, you probably want to keep going: an album, an artist, a week in the Dutch Top 40 or a concert.