With the passing of R&B icons such as Barry White, Rick James, Luther Vandross, Lou Rawls and Gerald Levert, the legacy of soul music might appear to be in jeopardy. However Kem, best known for his chart topping urban adult hit “Love Calls,” belongs to a stellar group of contemporary artists including John Legend, R. Kelly, Musiq, Anthony Hamilton, Usher, Jaheim, and Tyrese, who are at the vanguard of a movement to keep the music alive.

Kem, who won legions of fans with his 2003 debut album titled, “Kemistry,” and established himself as a musical force with his 2005 sophomore CD titled “Album II,” brings his sophisticated show to Verizon Hall at 7:30 p.m. this Sunday, as the Kimmel Center commemorates its fifth anniversary with a soulful celebration starring Rock and Roll Hall of Famers the O’Jays.

The concert is the marquee event in a day-long celebration of the Kimmel Center’s fifth season, in which a number of free performances and events will take place throughout the world class entertainment facility.

With his sultry single “Love Calls,” Kem Owens, a native of Nashville, Tenn., literally exploded into the consciousness of the Urban Adult audience, and the track remains in heavy rotation on several local radio stations.

“The ‘Kemistry’ CD, that was the foundation that we built everything on, and ‘Love Calls’ was the lead single from that CD,” Kem said during a recent interview. “I love that song, and the reason that we chose it to be the single was because we felt that that was the most radio friendly song, and that it was the most marketable song. We had always hoped to have the success that we had with that record, but we’re still grateful nonetheless.”

The singer/songwriter grew up listening to the O’Jays, Stevie Wonder, Grover Washington, Jr., Guns and Roses, Michael Franks and Tania Maria, and his sophisticated sound, which is particularly popular with the ladies, is an amalgamation of the sexy singer’s eclectic musical tastes.

“I just love music. I love good songs, and I think that’s all incorporated into the sound that I have right now,” he said. “I’ve had training, but it hasn’t been all formal training. It’s been listening to a lot of music, having friends who are incredible musicians (and) learning from them. I was in music classes in high school, and my love for music started when I was three or four years old, so there’s definitely been training, but not much of it has been academic. What I do is a gift.”

Even so, it’s hard to ignore Kem’s uncanny stylistic similarity to multiple Grammy winner Al Jarreau, particularly on “Love Calls” and “Find Your Way (Back in My Life) and the inevitable comparisons persist.

“The comparison is great!” Kem says. “Actually me, Al, Rachelle Ferrell and Marcus Miller just did a show together. Al is a wonderful human being, and every time we see each other, we have an opportunity to have a conversation and share a little bit, and we also always talk about working together, so that may be something that forthcoming.”

Kem assures his fans that the songs that they have come to know and love on his first two albums will be duly represented onstage at Verizon Hall, and said, “If people like the CDs then they should expect to experience nothing less than what they experience on the CDs. The musicians that are on my CDs are the same musicians that I use on stage. We come to have a good time doing what we believe God’s called us to do, and to share this music. So on our worst day, we sound just like the record.”

Though an undeniable musical void now exists following the loss of some of our greatest soul singers, Kem feels that he and several of his R&B contemporaries are capable of making a lasting contribution.

“I think we’ve all been influenced and inspired by the type of music that came from Barry White, and Luther Vandross, of course, and Gerald Levert, and I try to make music in that tradition – true R&B,” he said. “Gerald was the baddest cat to cover somebody’s else’s songs, and pull it off very well. There’s very few people that can do that. Luther did it well too, but I was really impressed with Gerald Levert. When you see these tributes to different people – tributes to Patti LaBelle or a tribute to Luther Vandross, and Gerald would come out and sing one of their songs, which was not his song, but he’d be able to transform it into his own, and give such a great performance.”

To that end, Kem, who is currently working on a live DVD as well as songs for his next studio album, had a parting message for his fans saying, “God bless you! Thank you for your support, and we’ll see you just in time for the holidays!”

Following the concert, the celebration will continue when Philadelphia’s own “Geator with the Heater,” Jerry Blavat hosts one of his signature dance parties on the Commonwealth Plaza Stage. Since its auspicious opening in December 2001, the Kimmel Center for Performing Arts has played host to many of the world’s greatest artists, and serves as a home to some of the best Philly has to offer.

Tickets for Kem and The O’Jays in concert can be purchased at the Kimmel Center box office, by calling (215) 893-1999, or by visiting www.kimmelcenter.org.