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Soul singer Garret Mimms enjoyed a string of Top 40 hits in the early 1960s. Born in Ashland, West Virginia, on November 26, 1933, he spent most of his childhood in Philadelphia, where he sang with gospel ensembles and doo-wop groups before moving to New York City as the leader of Garnet Mimms and the Enchanters. The group signed with United Artists and began releasing music in 1963. "Cry Baby", the Enchanters' first single, was a crossover hit, topping the R&B charts and peaking at Number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Their cover of Jerry Butler and the Impressions' "For Your Precious Love" also cracked the Top 40 that year, along with the song "Baby Don't Weep". Mimms left the group in 1964 and launched a solo career, earning his final Top 40 hit with 1966's "I'll Take Good Care of You". Janis Joplin recorded her own version of "Cry Baby" in 1970, and Mimms spent the decade broadening his sound, even flirting with disco on the popular "What It Is". The death of his father in 1978 prompted the singer to reevaluate his faith, and Mimms eventually shelved his music career, pursuing a new calling as an ordained minister.
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