Philadelphia soul hit-maker Gene McFadden, who co-wrote "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" with his partner John Whitehead, has died at age 56. McFadden died at his Philadelphia home Friday of liver and lung cancer.
"Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" - which was a top-20 pop hit and went to No. 1 on the R&B charts - became a favorite of Eagles fans, and during the 1980-81 season.
McFadden and Whitehead performed the song at the Vet before the start of the Eagles-Cowboys NFC Championship game, which Philadelphia won, catapulting them into the Super Bowl.
In addition to "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now," McFadden and Whitehead were responsible for hits such as the O'Jays' "Backstabbers" and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' "Wake Up Everybody." The duo influenced mainly United Kingdom groups such as Simply Red, Lisa Stansfield and Boy George and the Culture Club as well as Philadelphia's Hall & Oates.
Whitehead died in May 2004 from a drive-by shooting that remains unsolved. He was 55. The duo met in high school and formed a band called the Epsilons, which toured with Otis Redding until his death in 1967.
Producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff recognized McFadden and Whitehead's songwriting talent and hired them at Philadelphia International, where they stayed for 16 years.
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