John Whitehead (singer)

For other people named John Whitehead, see John Whitehead (disambiguation).

John Whitehead (July 10, 1948 – May 11, 2004) was an American singer and songwriter. He was 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 Gene McFadden.

McFadden and Whitehead wrote many hits for Philadelphia International artists such as The O'Jays and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, 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.

On May 11, 2004, John Whitehead was murdered. In an apparent case of mistaken identity, he was shot while fixing a car outside his home in Philadelphia. The case remains unsolved. Whitehead was 55 years old.  He is buried in Mount Moriah Cemetery in Philadelphia.

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

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Obituary

Category:1948 births
Category:2004 deaths
Category:2004 murders in the United States
Category:African-American musicians
Category:Record producers from Pennsylvania
Category:Songwriters from Pennsylvania
Category:Musicians from Philadelphia
Category:American soul musicians
Category:Deaths by firearm in Pennsylvania
Category:Murdered African-American people
Category:Murdered American musicians
Category:People murdered in Pennsylvania
Category:African-American Muslims
Category:Converts to Islam
Category:Unsolved murders in the United States
Category:Burials at Mount Moriah Cemetery, Philadelphia
Category:20th-century American composers