Odyssey is a singing group from New York, best known for their 1977 hit “Native New Yorker,” and a series of other mainly dance and soul hits in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Now based in the UK, the band is led and fronted by Steven Collazo and continues to perform and record.
Odyssey began as the Connecticut-born “Lopez Sisters” featuring Steven’s mother, Lillian (Lillian Lopez Collazo Jackson; 16 November 1935 – 4 September 2012),[4] Louise Lopez (February 22, 1933 – January 28, 2015), and Carmen Lopez (born July 12, 1934), the latter having left the group before Odyssey, as the act would come to be known after her departure, was conceived.
“Native New Yorker” reached no. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100, no. 5 in the UK Singles Chart and was later covered by Frankie Valli. A string of albums and singles followed and the group managed another R&B chart hit, “Inside Out”, written by Jesse Rae, produced by Jimmy Douglass and featuring music performed by session musicians. It peaked on the US charts at no. 12 and in the UK went to no. 3 in 1982.[5] Reynolds, for unknown reasons, left after the first album and was replaced by Fayetteville, North Carolina native William “Bill” McEachern, who remained with the group throughout the remainder of its RCA Records output. During that time, Brooklyn-born Steven Collazo joined the group as keyboardist, vocalist and musical director.
“After leaving RCA, Odyssey, composed of lead vocalist Lillian Lopez, Al Jackson and Steven Collazo, continued touring, performing, and making television appearances throughout the United Kingdom, Europe and the Middle East. Lillian Lopez and Jackson married in 2000, and retired from the music industry in 2003. Lillian died on September 4, 2012 of cancer”.
