Lead singer Bobby Smith
Bobby Smith
Robert "Bobby" Smith was an American R&B singer notable as the principal lead singer of the classic Motown/Philly group, The Spinners, throughout its history. The group was formed circa 1954 at Ferndale High School in Ferndale, Michigan, just north of the Detroit border. The group had their fi…
Are the spinners still together?
The Spinners are an American rhythm and blues vocal group that formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1954. They enjoyed a string of hit singles and albums during the 1960s and 1970s. The group continues to tour, with Henry Fambrough as the only original member.
Is Bobby Smith from the spinners still alive?
Bobby Smith Of ‘The Spinners’ Dead At 76. Bobby Smith (pictured), co-founder and, for the most part, the lead singer of the iconic R&B group, The Spinners, has passed away at age 76, reports Soul Tracks.
Are the Detroit Spinners still alive?
They enjoyed a string of hit singles and albums during the 1960s and 1970s, particularly with producer Thom Bell. The group continues to tour, with Henry Fambrough as the only original member. The group is also listed as the Detroit Spinners and the Motown Spinners, due to their 1960s recordings with the Motown label.
When did the original member of the spinners die?
^ Associated Press, "Original member of The Spinners dies in Detroit", USA Today, August 18, 2008. ^ Doc Rock. "2011 July To December". The Dead Rock Stars Club. Archived from the original on August 18, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
What happened to the lead singer of The Spinners?
Bobbie Smith, the original lead singer of soul group The Spinners, has died at the age of 76 in Orlando, Florida. The group's management said in a statement on Monday that Smith died on Saturday due to complications from pneumonia and influenza.
Who are the current members of The Spinners?
Henry FambroughVocalsMarvin TaylorVocalsJessie Robert PeckVocalsCharlton WashingtonVocalsBobby SmithVocalsPhilippé WynneVocalsThe Spinners/Members
Is Philippe Wynne still alive?
July 14, 1984Philippé Wynne / Date of death
Are any of the Liverpool Spinners still alive?
Mick Groves and Hughie Jones still occasionally perform, although Cliff Hall retired to Australia, where he died in 2008. Tony Davis returned to playing jazz after retiring and also hosted Tony's Tradtime on Jazz FM. He died in 2017.
Who is still alive from the original Spinners?
Henry FambroughLead singer Bobby Smith died on March 16, 2013. The group, which still tours actively, consists of Henry Fambrough (the only surviving original member), C. J. Jefferson, Jessie Peck, Marvin Taylor and Ronnie Moss. In 2017, the Spinners were inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.
Is Diana Ross making a comeback?
Diana Ross is making a comeback, aged 77, with her first album of new music in 15 years. The singer will release the title track of Thank You as a single on Thursday and the album will be available in the autumn.
Where is Philippe Wynne?
Wynne died of a heart attack at Providence Hospital, according to Sonny Buxton, a spokesman for Ivey's, the club where Mr. Wynne had performed.
Was Bobby Smith of the Spinners married?
Smith is survived by his wife, Lorraine; his sons Lamar and Richie White; his daughter, Vanessa Smith; four grandchildren; and one great-grandson.
Who sang bass for the Spinners?
DETROIT (AP) — Pervis Jackson, the man behind the deep, rolling bass voice in a string of 1970s R&B hits by the Spinners, died here on Monday. He was 70. His death was confirmed by his wife, Claudreen, who said he had recently learned he had cancer.
What songs do the spinners sing?
I'll Be AroundThe Rubberband ManCould It Be I'm Falling in LoveIt's A ShameWorking My Way Back to YouLove Don't Love NobodyThe Spinners/Songs
Where did the spinners come from?
Ferndale, MIThe Spinners / OriginFerndale is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It forms part of the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 19,190. Ferndale is well known in the Detroit area for its LGBT population and progressive policies. Wikipedia
How many albums did the spinners make?
Spinners1973Pick of the Litter1975Mighty Love1974Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow1977New and Improved1974Spinners Live!1975The Spinners/Albums
How long have the Spinners been playing?
The Spinners have been playing their hits for more than 50 years, and Henry Fambrough has been there through it all. It’s been more than 50 years and 12 gold records since the Spinners first harmonized on a basketball court in Ferndale, Michigan. And while four of the five original members have passed on and they haven’t had a hit on ...
Who is the last born and bred spinner?
And while four of the five original members have passed on and they haven’t had a hit on the charts since 1983, the iconic doo-wop group’s still singing and stepping – although more for nostalgic seniors than squealing teens. Henry Fambrough is the last born-and-bred Spinner, now performing alongside guys who grew up on his music.
How did Pervis Jackson die?
Original member Pervis Jackson died of cancer in 2008. And last year, Fambrough was having dinner after the closing night of a Soul Train cruise with lead singer Bobby Smith.
Who taught the Spinners dance moves?
Learning the steps. For their dance moves, the Spinners were instructed by the legendary Cholly Atkins, who trained everyone from Marvin Gaye to Diana Ross, and helped shape the moves of disco, breakdancing, reggae, ska and northern soul. “He came in and taught us things we never saw on stage before,” said Fambrough.
Who produced the Spinners?
The Queen of Soul recommended her own label, Atlantic Records, and songwriter extraordinaire Thom Bell asked to produce them.
Who was the guy who called American Bandstand?
After it cracked the Top 40, American Bandstand with Dick Clark called. “We was like awestruck, because at the time American Bandstand was the biggest thing with the dance parties and all that,” Fambrough said. “We was like, 'Oh, my god.'. I mean, things was happening so fast.”.
What happened to the Spinners?
The new millennium brought illness and death to several of the group members. John Edwards (Wynne’s 1977 replacement) suffered a debilitating stroke in 2002.
What happened to Bobby Smith?
Smith passed away from complications of influenza and pneumonia; it was also reported that he had been suffering from lung cancer.
When did the Spinners retire?
The Spinners Christmas Special attracted large audiences. They also had their own show on BBC Radio 2. They retired in 1988, after thirty years together, although they led the community singing at the 1989 FA Cup Final and played some Christmas shows in the early 1990s.
Where are the spinners from?
The Spinners (UK band) For the American R&B group, see The Spinners (American R&B group). The Spinners were a folk group from Liverpool, England, that formed in September 1958. They variously had four albums in the UK Albums Chart between September 1970 and April 1972.
How many albums did the Spinners have?
They variously had four albums in the UK Albums Chart between September 1970 and April 1972. One of them, Spinners Live Performance (1971), spent three months in the listing and peaked at No. 14.
Who recorded the Liverpool Spinners?
Their first album, Songs Spun in Liverpool (released under the group name of 'The Liverpool Spinners'), was recorded by Bill Leader from live performances. In 1962 Peter Kennedy of the English Folk Dance & Song Society recorded an album with them called Quayside Songs Old & New.
When did the Spinners get their name?
The Spinners got their name in 1961, but they were hardly a new group. The original members first blended their voices as school kids who met on a basketball court in the Detroit suburb of Ferndale in 1954, where they formed an ensemble that worked under different names until they settled on The Spinners.
What group did the Spinners get their money from?
For the better part of the 1960s, the vocal group The Spinners earned their paychecks from Motown, the recording label that introduced some of the world’s biggest rhythm and blues artists. But more often than not, those checks had nothing to do with singing.
What were the top 10 hits of the Spinners in 1972?
Just good music.”. One year after joining Atlantic, The Spinners had three Top 10 singles in 1972: “I’ll Be Around,” “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love” and “One of a Kind (Love Affair).”. Other hits during the decades were “Then Came You” (recorded with Dionne Warwick), “Games People Play” and “The Rubberband Man.”.
Did Aretha Franklin hear about the Spinners?
Aretha Franklin wouldn’t hear of it. The Spinners had been touring with the Queen of Soul and had become very close to Franklin, who felt The Spinners would be better off signing with her label Atlantic Records. Fambrough says there was more potential for reward than risk by jumping to Atlantic.
Who sang the lead in the 1970s spinners?
But established groups like the Temptations and the Four Tops got more attention from the company, and the Spinners had only one Top 20 hit during their tenure: “It’s a Shame” (1970), produced and co-written by Stevie Wonder, on which G. C. Cameron sang lead.
What caused Bobbie Smith to die?
He was 76. The cause was complications of pneumonia and influenza, his son Ron Smith, who plays guitar for the Spinners, said.
Who was Bobbie Smith?
Bobbie Smith was with the Spinners from their early days as a doo-wop group in Detroit to recent years on the oldies circuit. To the end, with their close harmonies, smooth choreography and matching outfits, they were the very model of an old-school rhythm-and-blues vocal ensemble.
Is the Spinners still together?
Mr. Fambrough, who is still with the group, is now the only surviving member of the original lineup.
