’90s R&B Hitmaker Has Tragically Passed Away at 61

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Back in the 1990s, an R&B vocal group calling themselves Rude Boys teamed up with singer Gerald Lavert to score a major hit.

Sadly, one of that group’s founding members has passed away, with music fans mourning the loss of Rude Boys singer Melvin Sephus. He was 61 years old.

Chart Success with ‘Written All Over Your Face’

Sephus and fellow singers Larry Marcus, Edward ‘Buddy’ Banks and Joe Little III formed a vocal quartet in the late 1980s, calling themselves Rude Boys.

Per Jazzapedia, the group was discovered by singer Gerald Levert, son of O’Jays lead singer Eddie Levert. By that point, Gerald Levert had become a successful singer, songwriter and producer in his own right, and signed Rude Boys to Atlantic Records.

Rude Boys’ debut album, “Rude Awakening,” proved to be an instant smash, propelled by the hit single “Written All Over Your Face,” which hit No. 1 on the R&B chart, and peaked at No. 16 in the pop chart — bolsterd by Levert collaborating with the group for the single.

Subsequent singles from that album included “Heaven” and “Are You Lonely for Me” (which also hit No. on the R&B chart), while the album itself hit No. 11 on the Billboard R&B chart.

“Gerald Levert’s mentorship shaped the Rude Boys’ smooth R&B sound blending new jack swing energy with quiet storm ballads, reflecting his own style,” notes Jazzapedia.

A Breakup & Reunion

Rude Boys’ 1992 follow-up, “Rude House,” also generated a couple of singles, although none that matched the success of the first album. These included “My Kinda Girl” and “Go Ahead and Cry.” The group split up after that, but reunited for subsequent albums “Puttin’ It Down” (released in 1994) and 1997’s “Rude As Ever.”

The members of Rude Boys went their separate ways after that, but fueled reunion rumors when the original lineup reunited to perform at Levert’s funeral in 2006.

“In addition to his work with The Rude Boys, Sephus was a talented singer, songwriter and musician who co-wrote and co-produced ‘I Got Your Back’ and sang backing vocals on Gerald and Eddie Levert’s 1995 album ‘Father & Son,'” notes Soultracks.

Sadly, Sephus is the third member of the original lineup to die prematurely, following the passing of Marcus in 2018, and then Banks in 2023.

Tributes to an R&B Great

Among those to pay tribute was “The RnB Talk Show,” which shared a message via Instagram.

“We at The RnB Talk Show send our condolences to Melvin Sephus family and friends 🙏🏾🤍, reads the post. “Cleveland, Ohio’s own The Rude Boys established a powerful legacy in the late ’80s and early ’90s New Jack Swing and Quiet Storm scenes. Discovered by R&B legend Gerald Levert, the vocal group achieved notable commercial success on the Billboard R&B charts, spearheaded by two consecutive number-one smash hits.”

Donny Hood likewise honored Sephus, via Facebook, writing, “Sad day in Cleveland yesterday I lost one of my best friends. The Great great great Melvin sephus of the rude boys rest up, Homie will see you again ….”

“Rest in paradise Melvin Sephus and Mr Edward Buddy Banks and Larry Marcus, the three original Rude Boys,” wrote Ben Hollen in a Facebook post. “I was crazy about the Rude Boys and I still listen to their songs every day. I always try to be like Buddy, that’s who I wanted to be like, Buddy, and I missed them guys a lot. We had a lot of fun backstage doing shows, they truly going to be missed.”