Jimmy Ruffin

An expressive soul singer of outstanding emotional quality, Jimmy Ruffin is best-known for the massive international hit What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted, a hit on several occasions in different parts of the world since its original release in 1966. The son of a minister, Jimmy and his brother David first embarked on singing careers with gospel group Dixie Nightingales. After a spell in the Army, he was given a spot as a session singer at Motown Records, but turned down an offer to be lead singer with the Temptations, his brother David taking the spot instead. What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted, a song originally intended for the Detroit Spinners, was his big breakthrough, followed by further hits with I've Passed This Way Before and Gonna Give Her All The Love I've Got. He also recorded an album with David and returned to the charts in 1980 with pop song Hold On To My Life, from the album Sunrise - produced by Bee Gee Robin Gibb. Jimmy subsequently moved to the UK, collaborating with Paul Weller on the single Soul Deep and Heaven 17 on A Foolish Thing To Do and My Sensitivity, while also recording duets with Maxine Nightingale and Brenda Holloway. After the death of his brother he became an anti-drug campaigner but in 2011 was back in the studio working on a brand new album.

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