When Gerald Levert accidentally overdosed on prescription and over-the-counter drugs and died in November 2006, everyone wondered how Eddie, who was very close to his son, would handle it. Eddie’s second son, Sean Levert, died of Xanax withdrawals while in police custody in March 2008. After that, Eddie’s friends and fans worried about how long he and Martha, Sean and Gerald’s mum, would stay together.
A few years ago, Eddie told The Plain Dealer and Ebony about his sadness. He also said that he had made mistakes as a parent. Here are parts of interviews.
Eddie Levert said, “If it wasn’t meant to happen, it wouldn’t have. I wish I understood. Did I do it? Maybe I’ve changed so much because I want to be a better dad, husband, and friend. To maybe make my life better. But I can’t stay there. I’m moved. It gets to the point where [he stops and his voice breaks]… We miss them. Hard. I can’t think about how it wasn’t meant to happen because it did. PlainDealer
Eddie says that his Christian faith helped him deal with his loss:
“I’ve read Job. Everything was gone. I kept all of it. Two boys died. Is important. Compared to someone who lost their whole family, though—do you get what I’m saying?Something was left for me. God is awesome. As I prayed, God gave me strength. I was sad for days. Still. Now I have a reason to live.”
Eddie gets by with music and memories of playing with his sons:
“Music can help. When I was on stage with Gerald and Sean, I had the most fun. I’ll always remember the time I got to be on stage with them and sing “Casanova,” “Baby Hang on to Me,” and “Wind Beneath My Wings.”
Even now, singing those songs alone is a form of therapy. When I’m on stage, I feel the best. Only for an hour and a half do I think about music. Don’t worry about my knee. Please ignore the pain in my back. Please ignore how sad I am. When I play that song, it goes away.” [TPD]
Eddie felt bad about how hard it was to raise his two sons:
“When Gerald and Sean died, I wanted to blame myself because I felt like I could have kept them from seeing some of the things I did as a father. Understand? I am also a person, you know.
For my wife’s break, I took them on the road. I’d watch the kids over the summer so she could start her Jehovah’s Witness work. She had a bad man, but she was a great woman. Know? That guy was a bad person because he didn’t know what he had, who he was, or what he should’ve done. Ignorance. To find out. [Ebony]
Sean and Gerald are no longer with us, but they gave their dad the best gift of all: wisdom.