Motown legend Jimmy Ruffin passed away on Monday in Las Vegas at the age of 75.
Although details are sketchy at this time, he had been reported in a coma in a Las Vegas hospital in mid-October.
Ruffin was born in Collinsville, Mississippi in 1939. While still youngsters, he and his brother David, who would go on to fame in the Temptations, began singing with the gospel group the Dixie Nightingales.
In 1961, Ruffin signed with the fledgling Motown Records where he mainly did session work but he had to take two years away from music when he was drafted into the service. Upon his discharge, he returned to Detroit and Motown where he was passed over for a place in the Temptations for his brother David, instead pursuing a solo career.
Jimmy’s first few singles on the Soul subsidiary went nowhere but, in 1966, he heard a song that was meant for the Spinners and convinced the management to let him record What Becomes of the Broken Hearted. When released, the record reached number 7 on the Hot 100 and 6 on the R&B chart along with number 10 in the U.K.
Ruffin followed with two more top twenty R&B hits, I’ve Passed This Way Before (1967 / #17 Pop / #10 R&B) and Gonna Give Her All the Love I’ve Got (1967 / #29 Pop / #14 R&B). His career fared better in Britain where he went top ten with I’ll Say Forever My Love (1968 / #77 U.S. / #7 U.K.), Farewell is a Lonely Sound (1970 / #8 U.K.), It’s Wonderful (To Be Loved By You) (1970 / #5 U.K.) and a reissue of What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? (1974 / #4 U.K.).
In 1974, Ruffin left Motown for Chess Records but it was his singing with RSO in 1980 and his pairing with Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees that brought him back to the charts with the album Sunrise and the hit Hold On (To My Love) which went to number 10 on the Hot 100, 29 on the R&B charts and 7 in the U.K.
Ruffin moved to England in 1984 where he enjoyed success touring. He also worked with Paul Weller on the benefit single Soul Deep along with collaborations with Heaven 17, Maxine Nightengale and Brenda Holloway. He also hosted a radio show for a time.
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