Thread: Accidental Drug Mix Said to Kill Gerald Levert

Accidental Drug Mix Said to Kill Levert
Feb 11, 1:38 AM EST


R&B singer Gerald Levert's death last fall was an accident caused by a fatal combination of prescription narcotics and over-the-counter drugs, a coroner said.

The drugs in his bloodstream included the narcotic pain relievers Vicodin, Percocet and Darvocet, along with anxiety medication Xanax and two over-the-counter antihistamines, Geauga County Coroner Kevin Chartrand said. The official cause of death was acute intoxication, and the death was ruled accidental.

Chartrand said his office received a report Thursday from the Cuyahoga County coroner's office, which conducted the autopsy.

Levert, 40, son of O'Jays singer Eddie Levert, died Nov. 10 in his suburban Cleveland home. He was a member of the R&B trio LeVert, whose hits included "(Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop) Goes My Mind" and "Casanova." He sold millions of albums and had numerous hits over his career.

His soulful voice powered his appeal and in 1991 he made his solo debut with the album "Private Line." That included a hit duet with his dad, "Baby Hold on to Me."

Andy Gibson, a family spokesman, said Levert was taking the pain medication because of chronic pain from a lingering shoulder problem and surgery in 2005 to repair a severed Achilles tendon. The autopsy revealed that Levert had pneumonia.

Levert also took Xanax for anxiety attacks, Gibson said.

"The drugs in his bloodstream included the narcotic pain relievers Vicodin, Percocet and Darvocet, along with anxiety medication Xanax and two over-the-counter antihistamines,"

I don't understand how all that in the bloodstream could be an accident. Sounds more like a suicide to me. And I've seen or heard that Xanax can cause suicides in some cases. Sounds like the pain was more than he could deal with maybe.

I don't get it either .. he seemed to have a lot of things in his system.

They just renamed a street after him in Cleveland.

i agree those are 3 strong pain meds why was he taking 3 different ones at the same time plus xanax

R&B singer Gerald Levert dead at 40


Coroner: Singer Sean Levert died of natural causes
By JOE MILICIA, Associated Press Writer
2 hours, 35 minutes ago

CLEVELAND - The R&B singer Sean Levert, who died at age 39 after falling ill in jail, suffered from a variety of ailments and died of natural causes, the county coroner ruled Thursday.

The 39-year-old Levert, a member of the 1980s R&B trio LeVert and son of lead O'Jays singer Eddie Levert, died March 31 at a hospital after he was taken from the Cuyahoga County jail. He was serving a 22-month sentence for failure to pay child support.

Levert's family had questioned officials' account that Levert had been acting strangely and was restrained before he fell ill. But in his ruling, County Coroner Frank Miller ruled out foul play or trauma.

Patti Webster, Levert's publicist, did not return a call seeking comment on the coroner's findings.

Miller said Levert died from complications of sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease that produces tiny lumps of cells in body's organs. The coroner said Levert also suffered from other conditions, including cardiovascular disease and withdrawal from alprazolam — a drug used to treat anxiety disorders and panic attacks.

After Levert died, jail warden Kevin McDonough said he had been sick and guards were watching him because he had been acting strangely. When he started pounding on his cell door, guards strapped him in a restraint chair, McDonough said. Levert's breathing became shallow and he was taken to the hospital.

Levert's family questioned McDonough's account and wanted the FBI to investigate. Levert's cousin, Michael Gibson, said Levert never had any outburst such as the type described by McDonough.

FBI spokesman Scott Wilson said in April that agents were willing to meet with Levert's family. Wilson said Thursday that the FBI was never contacted by the family.

Messages seeking comment from Sean Levert's publicist, Patti Webster, were not returned.

Levert and his brother Gerald formed LeVert in the 1980s with childhood friend Marc Gordon. Their hits included "Baby I'm Ready," "(Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop) Goes My Mind" and "Casanova."

His brother died in 2006 at age 40 of an accidental mix of prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

Sean Levert, who was trying to start the group LeVert again, had pleaded guilty in March to six counts of failure to pay child support. He was accused of failure to pay $89,025 to children ages 11, 15 and 17.

He had pleaded guilty in 1995 to drug abuse and was placed on probation and required to get treatment.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080529/...VbD0CJ_DhH2ocA