Sammy Strain

Sammy Strain, who was a member of both Little Anthony and the Imperials and the O'Jays.[3] Strain is one of the few artists in music history that is a double Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, having been inducted with the O'Jays in 2005, and the Imperials in 2009.

When their success dwindled in 1961, Gourdine left to attempt a solo career. Original Imperials member Nate Rogers was drafted into the service and Tracey Lord, another original member, left to get married. and the line-up then became Collins, Wright, Sammy Strain, (a childhood friend who had grown up together with the Imperials in Brooklyn), and George Kerr. Kerr was replaced by Kenny Seymour after a short time. This line-up had little success.[2]

Strain left in 1972. He had a restaurant in Los Angeles and was not singing for three years; at the end of that period he was briefly a member of The Fandangos with Lonnie Cook and Alvin Walker. He also auditioned for the lead voice of Arpeggio. Strain had been replaced by Harold Jenkins as a member of The Imperials. He then joined The O'Jays as the replacement for original O'Jays member William Powell, who left the group due to illness. (Powell died of cancer shortly thereafter.)

Sammy Strain, who started out as a member of the group Little Anthony & The Imperials. He later joined the group The O'Jays. After a sixteen year career of hits with The O'Jays, he would later rejoin Little Anthony & The Imperials in 1992.

Strain, once married to singer Yvonne Fair (now deceased), is married to his second wife, DeBorah, and has two children, Vincent and Shawn.[15]

References

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yvonne_Fair
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Anthony_and_the_Imperials
• http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0265433/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm