Farewell to Jimmy Ruffin

Another Motown great, Jimmy Ruffin, has died, aged 78, at his home in Las Vegas. The rumour has been circulating for a few days but now it has been confirmed. Jimmy had considerable success, particularly in the UK, with superbly soulful recordings such as What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted from 1966, I've Passed This Way Before, Gonna Give Her All The Love I've Got, Don't You Miss Me A Little Bit Baby, I'll Say Forever My Love, Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me, I've
Passed This Way Before, Farewell Is A Lonely Sound and It's Wonderful (To Be Loved By You). A couple of them were hits a second time around in the UK in 1974. Albums such as The Jimmy Ruffin Way, Ruff'n Ready and Jimmy Ruffin - Forever were among the classiest produced by Motown, as was I Am My Brother's Keeper in which he duetted with his younger brother David of the Temptations.
After leaving Motown he recorded for Polydor/Chess, enjoying further success with Tell Me What You Want. Like quite a few soul singers he moved to the UK in the 80s where he recorded with the Style Council and Heaven 17 and became an anti-drug advocate after the death of his brother in 1991. Farewell is truly a lonely sound Jimmy, we will miss you.
Another death is that of Hammond organist Cherry Wainer, who is fondly remembered for her appearances on the prototype TV music show Oh Boy. Originally from South Africa, Cherry played with Lord Rockingham's XI and later toured with her husband, drummer Don Storer. One of Cherry's claims to fame is that her Columbia recording of Money (That's What I Want) in 1960 was the first Motown cover to be released in the UK.
rnThe Vinyl Word also raises a glass to 'Mr' Acker Bilk, who has died aged 85. The Somerset-
born trad jazz clarinettist enjoyed enormous success in 1962 with Stranger On the Shore, a record that stayed in the charts for a year, and also with Summer Set, Buona Sera, That's My Home, Lonely and A Taste of Honey, among others.
It's farewell, too, to Houston blues wildman Little Joe Washington, aged 75, who played with the likes of Lightnin' Hopkins, Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland.