L.T.D.

Formed in Greensboro, North Carolina during 1968, the enduring funk ensemble L.T.D.—standing for Love, Togetherness and Devotion—originated with keyboardist Jimmie "J.D." Davis and saxophonist Abraham "Onion" Miller, both of whom had previously supported the renowned duo Sam & Dave. After the pair moved to New York City, they added guitarist Johnny McGhee, horn player Carle Vickers, saxophonists Arthur "Lorenzo" Carnegie and Toby Wynn, plus trombonist Jake Riley, Jr. Vocalist and drummer Jeffrey Osborne came aboard as well, and the collective later relocated to Los Angeles, where keyboardist Billy Osborne, Jeffrey’s brother, completed the roster. The group then secured a deal with A&M and delivered its debut album, Love, Togetherness & Devotion, in 1974. Their third release, the 1976 set Love to the World, yielded the first Top 20 pop single, “Love Ballad.” The next album, 1977’s Something to Love, featured the Top Five hit “(Every Time I Turn Around) Back in Love Again,” while 1981 brought another Top 40 entry with “Shine On.” Once Osborne departed for a solo path, the band recruited vocalists Leslie Wilson and Andre Ray, yet its chart success steadily faded. Following the 1983 album For You, L.T.D. dissolved. In the late 1990s several founding members revived the name and performed throughout the subsequent decade, eventually issuing fresh studio material on the 2007 album Bringing It Home.