Fatal drug mix killed US R&B star

Levert's most recent album was 2005's Voices

Grammy-nominated R&B star Gerald Levert was killed by an accidental mixture of over-the-counter and prescription drugs according to a US coroner.

The singer, who died last November, had pain killers, anxiety medication and allergy drugs in his bloodstream, said Cleveland coroner Kevin Chartrand.

The official cause of death was acute intoxication, and the death was ruled to be accidental, he said.

Levert found fame in R&B trio LeVert, and had a UK top 10 hit with Casanova.

He also recorded as a solo artist, and worked with soul legends such as Anita Baker, Barry White and Patti LaBelle.

Pop royalty

The soul crooner, son of O'Jays vocalist Eddie Levert, was born in Philadelphia, and often accompanied his father on tour.

He set up his first band in 1986 with brother Sean and childhood friend Marc Gordon, naming it LeVert.

The trio were particularly successful in the US, scoring two gold albums in 1987 and 1988 before Levert left to pursue a solo career.

In 1992, he had an unexpected number one R&B hit, Baby Hold On To Me, with his father, which led to an entire album of duets, Father And Son, in 1995.

Levert also received a Grammy nomination for writing Barry White's comeback single, Practice What You Preach, in 1994.

Andy Gibson, a family spokesman, said Levert was taking pain medication because of a lingering shoulder problem and surgery in 2005 to repair a severed Achilles tendon.

The autopsy also revealed that Levert had pneumonia.