Samuel Strain Jr. (born December 9, 1939) is an American
R&B vocalist, known for his time as a member of
Little Anthony and the Imperials (1958–1972; 1992–2005) and
The O'Jays
The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1958 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert, Walter Lee Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey, and Bill Isles. The O'Jays made their first chart appearance with the minor hi ...
(1975–1992).
He holds the unusual distinction of being twice inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...
: in 2005 with the O'Jays and in 2009 with Little Anthony and the Imperials.
Early life
Strain was born to Sammy Strain Sr. and Margaret Mosley in
Brooklyn in 1939. He visited the
Apollo Theater
The Apollo Theater is a music hall at 253 West 125th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard (Seventh Avenue) and Frederick Douglass Boulevard (Eighth Avenue) in the Harlem neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City. It is a not ...
as a teenager, and dropped out of
Alexander Hamilton High School, Brooklyn age 16.
Career
Strain formed
The Chips
The Chips were a short-lived New York City doo-wop vocal group consisting of teenage friends Charles Johnson (lead vocal), Nathaniel Epps (baritone), Paul Fulton (bass), Sammy Strain and Shedrick Lincoln (tenors).
The group's first recording is th ...
with several friends in 1956. He sang with a
tenor voice.
In 1958, Strain joined
The Imperials; they later reunited with their lead singer and reformed
Little Anthony and the Imperials.
From 1975 to 1992, Strain was part of
The O'Jays
The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1958 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert, Walter Lee Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey, and Bill Isles. The O'Jays made their first chart appearance with the minor hi ...
replacing original member William Powell as he was diagnosed with colon cancer, he rejoined the Imperials, and sang with them until retiring in 2005.
Strain was twice inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...
: in 2005 with the O'Jays and in 2009 with Little Anthony and the Imperials.
Personal life
Strain married the singer
Yvonne Fair. He is currently married to DeBorah and has two sons.
Notes
:1.Some sources give Strain's year of birth as 1940 or 1941. However, he celebrated his 80th birthday in 2019 and most sources give 1939 as the year of birth, including the detailed biography in ''Echoes Of The Past'' magazine.
[http://classicurbanharmony.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Sammy-Strain-Story-Part-1-The-Chips.pdf ]
References
External links
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1939 births
Living people
American soul singers
Musicians from Brooklyn
American tenors
21st-century African-American male singers
20th-century African-American male singers
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