Jimmy Ruffin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jimmy Ruffin
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Ruffin in 1964
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jimmy Lee Ruffin |
| Born | May 7, 1936 Collinsville, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | November 17, 2014 (aged 78) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1955-2014 |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts | David Ruffin |
Jimmy Lee Ruffin (born May 7, 1936 – died November 17, 2014) was an American soul singer. He was the older brother of David Ruffin, who was the lead singer for the famous group the Temptations. Jimmy Ruffin had many popular songs, especially between the 1960s and 1980s. His biggest hits were "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" and "Hold On (To My Love)".
Contents
About Jimmy Ruffin
Early Life and Music
Jimmy Ruffin was born in 1936 in Collinsville, Mississippi. His father, Eli, was a sharecropper, which means he was a farmer who shared his crops with the landowner. Jimmy's younger brother, David, was born almost five years later. When they were kids, both brothers started singing in a gospel group called the Dixie Nightingales.
In 1961, Jimmy began his singing career with Motown, a famous record company. He recorded some songs for their smaller label, Miracle. However, he then had to join the army for a while. After leaving the army in 1964, he went back to Motown. He was offered a chance to join the Temptations, but after hearing his brother David sing, the group hired David instead. So, Jimmy decided to continue as a solo artist. He recorded for Motown's Soul label, but his early songs weren't very successful.
Music Career Highlights
"What Becomes of the Brokenhearted"
In 1966, Jimmy heard a song that was written for another group, The Spinners. The song was about love that isn't returned. Jimmy really liked it and convinced the writers that he should record it himself. His version of "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" became a huge hit!
This song reached number 7 on the American Billboard music chart and number 6 on the R&B chart. It also became popular in the UK, reaching number 8. When it was released again in the UK in 1974, it went even higher, to number 4. "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" is still Jimmy Ruffin's most famous song. It was the main song from his first album, Jimmy Ruffin Sings Top Ten, released in 1967. Other successful songs that followed were "I've Passed This Way Before" and "Gonna Give Her All The Love I've Got".
Later US and UK Success
Jimmy's second album, Ruff 'n' Ready, came out in 1969. It included the song "Don't You Miss Me a Little Bit Baby", which reached number 68 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also a Top 30 hit on the R&B Charts. After this, it became harder for Jimmy to have big hits in America for many years.
Because it was difficult to keep up his success in the United States, Jimmy started to focus more on the British music market. In 1970, three of his songs – "Farewell Is a Lonely Sound", "I'll Say Forever My Love", and "It's Wonderful (To Be Loved by You)" – all made it into the UK Top Ten. He even won an award in Britain as the world's top singer!
Jimmy also recorded an album with his brother David in 1970 called I Am My Brother's Keeper. This album did fairly well and included songs like "When The Love Hand Comes Down" and "Your Love Was Worth Waiting For". They also covered Ben E. King's famous song "Stand by Me".
Collaborations and Later Hits
After his early hits, Jimmy Ruffin found that other Motown artists often covered his songs. For example, "Everybody Needs Love" became a hit for Gladys Knight & the Pips, and "Maria (You Were The Only One)" was a hit for Michael Jackson. Jimmy had also recorded the first version of The Temptations' hit "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep".
Later, Jimmy left Motown and recorded for other record companies like Polydor and Chess. In 1980, Robin Gibb from the Bee Gees helped produce Jimmy's album Sunrise. This album included the popular song "Hold On To My Love", which reached number 10 in the US and number 7 in the UK.
In the 1980s, Jimmy Ruffin moved to live in Great Britain and continued to perform there. In 1984, he worked with Paul Weller from the group The Style Council on a song called "Soul Deep". This song was released to raise money for families of miners who were on strike in the UK. Jimmy explained that he got involved because his own father had worked in the mines, so he understood their struggles.
In 1986, he also worked with the British pop group Heaven 17. He sang on their songs "A Foolish Thing to Do" and "My Sensitivity". Jimmy also recorded for a Motown-style record label called Motorcity Records in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He even sang duets with other artists like Maxine Nightingale and Brenda Holloway. For a time, Jimmy Ruffin also hosted a radio show in the UK. In 1998, an actor named Lamman Rucker played Jimmy Ruffin in a TV mini-series about The Temptations.
Later Years and Family
In 2010, his 1970 album I Am My Brother's Keeper was released on CD for the first time. Jimmy Ruffin had been writing and recording new songs for an album he hoped to release in 2013, but it wasn't finished before he passed away.
In 2012, a collection of his songs called There Will Never Be Another You was released. It included his famous hits like "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" and "Hold On To My Love".
Jimmy Ruffin lived in Las Vegas, Nevada. On October 17, 2014, it was reported that he was very ill and in the hospital. He passed away on November 17, 2014, in Las Vegas, at the age of 78. He is buried in the Palm Memorial Park Northwest Cemetery in Las Vegas.
Jimmy Ruffin had several siblings: Davis Eli (who was David), Reada May (Marie), Rosine, and Quincy B. All of them have passed away. Jimmy's children are Arlet, Philicia, Jimmie Ray (who has passed away), Jimmy Jr., Ophelia, and Camilla.
His Music Albums
- Sunrise (1980)
See also
In Spanish: Jimmy Ruffin para niños
