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Bobby Smith (R&B singer)
Encyclopedia
Robert "Bobby" Smith is an American
R&B
singer, noted as the principal lead singer of the soul
vocal group, The Spinners
, also known as the Detroit Spinners or the Motown Spinners.
Smith has been the group's main lead singer since its inception, having sung lead vocals
on The Spinners first hit record
in 1961, "That's What Girls Are Made For
" (which has been inaccurately credited to the group's mentor and former Moonglows
lead singer, Harvey Fuqua
). Smith also sang lead on most of their Motown
material during the 1960s, such as the charting
singles
like "Truly Yours" (1966) and "I'll Always Love You
" (1965); almost all of the group's pre-Motown material on Fuqua's Tri-Phi Records label
, and also on The Spinners' biggest Atlantic Records
hits, such as "I'll Be Around
", "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love
", "They Just Can't Stop It the (Games People Play)", and the Billboard
#1, "Then Came You
" (with Dionne Warwick
). Despite the fact that Smith has led on many of the group's biggest hits, many have instead unfairly credited much of the group's success to its other lead singer, Philippé Wynne
.
Wynne was many times inaccurately credited for songs that Smith actually sang lead on, such as by the group's label, Atlantic Records, on their Anthology double album
collection (an error corrected in the group's later triple CD
set, The Chrome Collection). Throughout a succession of lead singers (Wynne, Jonathan Edwards, G. C. Cameron
etc.), Smith's lead voice has always been The Spinners' mainstay.
, Smith still sings lead with The Spinners. With the death of Spinners member Billy Henderson (American singer)
in 2007, and the recent death of Spinners bass singer Pervis Jackson
in August 2008, Bobby Smith and Henry Fambrough
are the last remaining original members still performing with the Spinners.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
singer, noted as the principal lead singer of the soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
vocal group, The Spinners
The Spinners (U.S. band)
The Spinners is a soul music vocal group, active for over 50 years, and with a long run of pop and R&B hits especially during the 1970s. The group, originating from Detroit, still tours regularly ....
, also known as the Detroit Spinners or the Motown Spinners.
Smith has been the group's main lead singer since its inception, having sung lead vocals
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
on The Spinners first hit record
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
in 1961, "That's What Girls Are Made For
That's What Girls Are Made For
"That's What Girls Are Made For" is the debuting single for the American R&B/Soul vocal group The Spinners, released on Harvey Fuqua's Tri-Phi Records label in 1961....
" (which has been inaccurately credited to the group's mentor and former Moonglows
The Moonglows
The Moonglows were an American R&B and doo-wop group based in Cleveland, Ohio.-Early years:Originally formed in their native Louisville, Kentucky as the Crazy Sounds, the group moved to Cleveland, where disc jockey Alan Freed renamed them 'the Moonglows'...
lead singer, Harvey Fuqua
Harvey Fuqua
Harvey Fuqua, was an African-American rhythm and blues singer, songwriter, record producer, and record label executive.Fuqua founded the seminal R&B/doo-wop group the Moonglows in the 1950s...
). Smith also sang lead on most of their Motown
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
material during the 1960s, such as the charting
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
like "Truly Yours" (1966) and "I'll Always Love You
I'll Always Love You (The Spinners song)
"I'll Always Love You" is a song co-written by William "Mickey" Stevenson and Ivy Jo Hunter and produced by Stevenson and Hunter as a single for The Spinners on the Motown Records label. The single became the Detroit-reared group's first charting single on the Motown Records company since they had...
" (1965); almost all of the group's pre-Motown material on Fuqua's Tri-Phi Records label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, and also on The Spinners' biggest Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
hits, such as "I'll Be Around
I'll Be Around (The Spinners song)
"I'll Be Around" is a song recorded by the American R&B vocal group The Spinners . The song was co-written by Thom Bell and Phil Hurtt and produced by Bell...
", "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love
Could It Be I'm Falling in Love
"Could It Be I'm Falling in Love" is a 1972 song recorded by the American R&B vocal group The Spinners . The song was co-written by Melvin and Mervin Steals who were two songwriter brothers working for Atlantic, who were sometimes credited as "Mystro and Lyric." It was produced by Thom Bell...
", "They Just Can't Stop It the (Games People Play)", and the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
#1, "Then Came You
Then Came You (song)
"Then Came You" is a 1974 Grammy-nominated hit for American soul singer Dionne Warwick and American R&B group The Spinners, and credited to Dionne Warwicke and Spinners . The track was written by Sherman Marshall and Phillip T...
" (with Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....
). Despite the fact that Smith has led on many of the group's biggest hits, many have instead unfairly credited much of the group's success to its other lead singer, Philippé Wynne
Philippe Wynne
Philippé Wynne , born Phillip Walker, was an American R&B singer. Best known for his role as the lead singer of The Spinners , Wynne scored notable hits such as "How Could I Let You Get Away", "The Rubberband Man",and "One of a Kind ",...
.
Wynne was many times inaccurately credited for songs that Smith actually sang lead on, such as by the group's label, Atlantic Records, on their Anthology double album
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
collection (an error corrected in the group's later triple CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
set, The Chrome Collection). Throughout a succession of lead singers (Wynne, Jonathan Edwards, G. C. Cameron
G. C. Cameron
George Curtis "G.C." Cameron is an American soul and R&B singer. G.C. is credited with having "six different voices."-The Spinners:...
etc.), Smith's lead voice has always been The Spinners' mainstay.
, Smith still sings lead with The Spinners. With the death of Spinners member Billy Henderson (American singer)
Billy Henderson (American singer)
Billy Henderson was an African-American singer. He was an original member and founder of The Spinners, a soul vocal group....
in 2007, and the recent death of Spinners bass singer Pervis Jackson
Pervis Jackson
Pervis Jackson was an American R&B singer, noted as the bass singer for The Spinners, and was one of the group's original members.-Life and career:...
in August 2008, Bobby Smith and Henry Fambrough
Henry Fambrough
Henry Fambrough is an original vocalist and current member of the R&B quintet The Spinners . He is one of two active original members of the Spinners...
are the last remaining original members still performing with the Spinners.