Post by Emerald City on Jul 12, 2004 23:19:28 GMT -5
Jimmy Ruffin first came to Motown in 1961 and recorded his debut single ‘Don’t Feel Sorry For Me’ on the Miracle label just before he was drafted for national service. When he came back from the Army, Jimmy returned to Motown, where he recorded ‘Since I’ve Lost You’ b/w ‘I Want Her Love’. After that he was switched to the Soul label, but it wasn’t until 1966 that he had a commercial breakthrough with ‘What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted’. It was a huge hit on both sides of the Atlantic but unfortunately his follow up singles ‘Gonna Give Her All The Love I’ve Got’ and ‘Don’t You Miss Me A Little Bit Baby’ didn’t have the same success and Jimmy was unable to have a steady string of hits in the US like most of the other Motown artists.
By concentrating on the British market, he finally got the recognition that he deserved. ‘Farewell Is A Lonely Sound’, ‘I’ll Say Forever My Love’ and ‘It’s Wonderful To Be Loved By You’ all became top ten singles in the British charts in the 70’s and soon turned him into a household name.
Even though he didn’t have the huge success that he should have had internationally, Jimmy Ruffin is a true vintage artist that will always be among the greats.
