For other people named John Whitehead, see John Whitehead

John Whitehead

John Whitehead may refer to:* John Whitehead , 15th century Irish theologian* John Meek Whitehead , Wisconsin politician* John Whitehead , British explorer* J. H. C. Whitehead , British mathematician...

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John Whitehead (July 10, 1949 – May 11, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was best known as one of the key members of the Philadelphia International

Philadelphia International Records

Philadelphia International Records is a record label founded by writer-producers, Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff in 1971. It was famous for showcasing the sub-genre of Philadelphia soul music and released a string of worldwide hits during the decade.-History:...

 record label

Record label

In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...

, and was one-half of the successful team of McFadden & Whitehead

McFadden & Whitehead

McFadden and Whitehead were an American songwriting, production, and recording duo, best known for their signature tune "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"...

 with Gene McFadden

Gene McFadden

Gene McFadden was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as one of the key members of the Philadelphia International record label, and was one-half of the successful team of McFadden & Whitehead with John Whitehead.-Biography:McFadden met John Whitehead as a teenager...

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McFadden and Whitehead wrote many hits for Philadelphia International artists such as The O'Jays

The O'Jays

The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1963 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert , Walter Williams , William Powell , Bobby Massey and Bill Isles. The O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005...

 and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes

Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes

Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes were an American singing group, one of the most popular Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. The group's repertoire included soul, R&B, doo-wop, and disco...

, and had their own hit with "Ain't No Stopping Us Now" in 1979. Whitehead converted to Islam in 1996 and received an LL.D. from Bates College

Bates College

Bates College is a highly selective, private liberal arts college located in Lewiston, Maine, in the United States. and was most recently ranked 21st in the nation in the 2011 US News Best Liberal Arts Colleges rankings. The college was founded in 1855 by abolitionists...

. On May 11, 2004, John Whitehead was murdered by two unknown gunmen while fixing his car on the street outside his Philadelphia home with his nephew. He is buried in Mount Moriah Cemetery

Mount Moriah Cemetery (Philadelphia)

Mount Moriah Cemetery is a historic cemetery in southwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, along Cobbs Creek. It was incorporated on March 27, 1855 and established by an act of the Pennsylvania Legislature. The cemetery, which originally occupied , was among a number of cemeteries established along the...

 in Philadelphia.

He was the father of both members of early 1990s duo the Whitehead Brothers

Whitehead Brothers

The Whitehead Brothers are an American R&B duo from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, made up of two brothers, Kenny Whitehead and Johnny Whitehead. They are the sons of the R&B songwriter, John Whitehead, who was one half of another musical duo, McFadden & Whitehead....

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External links

• John Whitehead at the Notable Names Database
  NNDB
  The Notable Names Database , produced by Soylent Communications, the same entity that produces Rotten, Daily Rotten, Dr. Sputnik's Society Pages and Penny Postcards, is an online database of biographical details of over 36,000 people of note...
  
  
• Obituary