Henry Fambrough, the only surviving founding member of renowned R&B group The Spinners, died Wednesday at the age of 85.
Fambrough died at his residence in Virginia, after a month of palliative care, as confirmed by Tanisha Jackson, spokeswoman for the Spinners, in an interview with the newspaper. Detroit Free Press. Fambrough’s last public appearance was last November when he attended the Spinners’ induction ceremony into the Rock Hall of Fame. With seven decades of service to the group, Fambrough retired from the Spinners in early 2023.
“[Henry Fambrough] I was able to experience those praises. He was able to enjoy the achievement. That was something that made him very happy,” Jackson told the Detroit Free Press. “He was happy to represent those who had gone before him.”
When The Spinners were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November, Fambrough, Billy Henderson, Pervis Jackson, Bobby Smith, Philippé Wynne and John Edwards were listed as members.
The Spinners circa 1965 (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
In May of last year, Fambrough had the privilege of visiting Detroit’s Studio A, Motown’s iconic recording studio. The visit was part of a ceremony in which the group donated 375 pieces of clothing worn during their performances to the Motown Museum. “I used to dream about this place,” Fambrough said of the studio.
Henry Fambrough had to convince his wife that he was recording with The Spinners during the late-night sessions
Henry Fambrough joked to reporters that he had to convince his wife that the studio was his destination for 3 a.m. rehearsals and recording sessions with his bandmates in The Spinners. His initial big hit with Motown came with the song “It’s A Shame.” The hit peaked at number 14 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in 1970.
Originally known as The Domingoes, this group was established in 1954 in Ferndale, just north of Detroit. Ten years later, The Spinners became part of Motown Records.
After signing with Atlantic Records, The Spinners achieved a series of chart-topping hits. One of his notable hits was “Then Came You”, a collaboration with Dionne Warwick. The hit ranked number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974. His music received six Grammy nominations and earned 18 platinum and gold albums.
Fambrough is survived by his wife of 52 years, Norma, and his daughter Heather Williams.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn