John Whitehead (singer)

John Whitehead
John Whitehead
Birth name	John Cavadus Whitehead
Born	July 10, 1948; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	May 11, 2004 (aged 55); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres	Disco, R&B, Philly soul
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, record producer
Years active	1968–2004
Labels	Philadelphia International
Formerly of	McFadden & Whitehead
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John Cavadus 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.^[1]

McFadden and Whitehead wrote many hits for Philadelphia International artists, including the O'Jays and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, and had their own hit with "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" in 1979.^[2]

He was the father of both members of the Whitehead Brothers, a mid-1990s duo.

Death

On May 11, 2004, Whitehead was fatally shot, possibly in a case of mistaken identity, while fixing a car outside his home in Philadelphia. Another man with him at the time suffered light injuries from the multiple shots fired by two gunmen, who fled the scene.^[3] As of 2025, the murder remains unsolved.^[4] Whitehead was 55 years old and had converted to Islam in 1996. He is buried in Mount Moriah Cemetery in Philadelphia.^[5]

References

^ "John Whitehead | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
^ "John Whitehead". The Independent. May 14, 2004. Archived from the original on June 14, 2022. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
^ "R&B singer John Whitehead shot to death". TODAY.com. May 12, 2004. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
^ "'It still hurts': Family looking for answers nearly 20 years after murder of Philadelphia R&B star". fox29.com. WTXF-TV Fox29 Philadelphia. October 3, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
^ "John Whitehead: "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"". The Cemetery Traveller. February 22, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2021.

External links

Whitehead gravesite at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Philadelphia
Obituary at The Independent

[1] "John Whitehead | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved September 17, 2020.

[2] "John Whitehead". The Independent. May 14, 2004. Archived from the original on June 14, 2022. Retrieved September 17, 2020.

[3] "R&B singer John Whitehead shot to death". TODAY.com. May 12, 2004. Retrieved August 2, 2020.

[4] "'It still hurts': Family looking for answers nearly 20 years after murder of Philadelphia R&B star". fox29.com. WTXF-TV Fox29 Philadelphia. October 3, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2023.

[5] "John Whitehead: "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"". The Cemetery Traveller. February 22, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2021.

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