MOTOWN MONDAY: SPOTLIGHT ON JIMMY LEE RUFFIN

 

Motown Artist Jimmy Ruffin

 

JIMMY RUFFIN

1936-2014

 

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Jimmy Lee Ruffin  (May 7, 1936 – November 17, 2014) was an American soul singer, and elder brother of David Ruffin of the Temptations. He had several hit records between the 1960s and 1980s, the most successful being the Top 10 hits “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” and “Hold On (To My Love)”.

JIMMY RUFFIN 1965

In 1961, Jimmy became a singer as part of the Motown stable, mostly on sessions but also recording singles for its subsidiary Miracle label, but was then drafted for national service. After leaving the Army in 1964, he returned to Motown, where he was offered the opportunity to join the Temptations to replace Elbridge Bryant. However, after hearing his brother David, they hired him for the job instead so Jimmy decided to resume his solo career. Ruffin recorded for Motown’s subsidiary Soul label, but with little success.

In 1966, he heard a song about unrequited love written for The Spinners, and persuaded the writers that he should record it himself. His recording of “What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted” became a major success. The song reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #6 on the R&B Chart. It also initially reached #8 in the UK singles chart, rising to #4 when it was reissued in the UK in 1974.

What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” remains Ruffin’s best-known song. It was the lead single from his debut album Jimmy Ruffin Sings Top Ten (released as The Jimmy Ruffin Way in the UK), which was released on the Motown’s Soul subsidiary label in 1967. Follow-up singles in America were successful, with “I’ve Passed This Way Before” and “Gonna Give Her All The Love I’ve Got” in late 1966 and early 1967.

Ruffin’s second album, Ruff ‘n’ Ready, was released in 1969. It contained the song “Don’t You Miss Me a Little Bit Baby”, which made the lower parts of the Billboard Hot 100 (#68) and was a Top 30 hit on the R&B Charts, peaking at #27. As a solo artist, it would prove to be Ruffin’s last significant chart appearance in America for many years, and his very last significant charting record for Motown in the US. The song was also released as the B-side to “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” when it was reissued in 1974.

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(Source: Jimmy Ruffin; Wikipedia)

 

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MOTOWN MONDAY: A JIMMY RUFFIN NEWSPRINT OBIT

Detroit Free Press November 20, 2014

 

Thursday, November 20, 2014

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A MOTOWN MONDAY NEWS PRINT BACK-PAGE

The Detroit Free Press: ‘Motown Singer Jimmy Ruffin Dies at 78’

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Above article is courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2020. Newspapers.com.

The above featured ‘Motown’ newsprint article was clipped, saved, and imaged from the credited source by Motor City Radio Flashbacks

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DETROIT MOTOWN MONDAY: RECORD FLASHBACK ’67

 

 

 

 

 

JIMMY RUFFIN

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 Released August 19, “Don’t You Miss Me A Little Bit Baby” peaked at #27 (charted 6 total weeks R&B overall) on the Billboard R&B chart in 1967. B-side: “I Want Her Love”

SOUL 35035 (Source: Billboard Top R&B Singles)

 

 

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