The successful track My Body by the R&B trio LSG, which consisted of Gerald Levert, Keith Sweat, and Johnny Gill, was released in 1997. Levert, Sweat, Gill, the self-explanatory title of LSG’s now-2x platinum debut album.
It appears that LSG wasn’t always the plan, and R. Kelly was intended to be a founding member. Johnny Gill claims that when Keith Sweat first had the notion to form a supergroup, Sweat, Gerald Levert, and R. Kelly were the original members.
Its platinum-certified first single, My Body, debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the American R&B charts for seven weeks.
LSG2, the group’s second album, was released in 2003. After Levert passed away in 2006, Gill and Sweat briefly replaced him in September 2013 with Eddie Levert of The O’Jays before breaking up.
Gill, 57, said in a VladTV interview from last Wednesday: “Originally, it was supposed to be Keith, Gerald, and R. Kelly, and in some kind of way, Rob pulled out of it from what I was told, and I know Gerald had talked to me and he was like, ‘Man, Keith wants to do a group thing.'” At that point, the late crooner invited Gill to join the group, and LSG was created.
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Gill also revealed that Sylvia Rhone, who questioned Sweat’s choice to form a group, oversaw the signing of LSG to Elektra. Sylvia allegedly asked Keith, “What the heck are you doing? What’s the purpose of this? Nothing about it makes sense. If I were you, I wouldn’t act in that way.” Sweat then said, “Why isn’t anyone telling me what to do?” I’ll carry out my plans if I want to. So, he did,” said Gill.
The New Edition member continued, referring to the dynamics of the group: “It was really funny witnessing the dynamics between Keith and Gerald because they used to fight like brothers. I was in the first row, so I could tell it was a brotherly event. Levert was referred to by Gill as his “road dawg and partner in crime,” Gill then complimented the singer on the quality of his voice.