R.I.P. - Henry Fambrough (The Spinners) (10 May 1938 - 7 Feb 2024)

The sole surviving original member of The Spinners, Henry Fambrough, died yesterday aged 85. He had been with the group for 69 years up until his retirement in Apr 2023. 

The Spinners were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2023. The six members of the group who were inducted are four of the five original members Henry Fambrough (baritone 1954–2023), Bobby (Bobbie) Smith (co-lead tenor 1954–2013 died 2013), Pervis Jackson (bass (1954–2008 died 2008), Billy Henderson (tenor/baritone (1954–2004 died 2007) along with John Edwards (lead tenor 1977–2000) and Philippé Wynne (lead tenor (1972–77 died 1984). All, apart from John Edwards, are now deceased, Edwards suffered a debilitating stroke in 2000 which forced him into retirement.

Fambrough was a one of the founding members of The Domingoes in the Detroit superb of Ferndale in1954. Other group members were Jackson, Henderson, James Edwards and C.P. Spencer. Bobby Smith joined the group a few weeks afterwards replacing James Edwards. Spencer left in 1956 to join The Voice Masters and then The Originals. They became known as The Spinners in 1961 but were also know as Detroit or Motown Spinners in the UK to avoid confusion with a popular folk group called The Spinners.

He was the group's baritone voice and shared lead vocals in the group's Atlantic heyday with Wynn and Smith on one of the group's classics, "Ghetto Child", co-lead with Wynne on "Living a Little, Laughing a Little" and solo lead on "I Don't Want to Lose You" and "If You Can't Be in Love". He also duetted with Dionne Warwick on "Just As Long As We Have Love".  

After his retirement less than a year ago, Fambrough moved from his native Detroit to Sterling, VA. We understand he was taken into hospice care only last month and died of natural causes on 7 Feb. 

Their early recordings (approx. 6 singles) were for Harvey Fuqua's Tri-Phi until the label was acquired by his brother-in-law, Berry Gordy, and The Spinners became a Motown act. Fuqua, a member of The Moonglows in the 50s, married Gwen Gordy. He is credited as introducing both Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell to Motown. A young Marvin Gaye played drums on The Spinners first single, "That's What Girls Are Made For", on Tri-Phi in 1961. 

Their first single on Motown was "Sweet Thing" in 1964 which never charted. They followed with "I'll always Love You" in 1965 which reached #35 Hot 100. A string of further Motown singles failed to register until 1970 when they reached #11 with "It's A Shame". It would be their penultimate single for Motown before being persuaded by Aretha Franklin to sign to Atlantic where they were teamed up with Thom Bell and went on to have a string of hits throughout the 70s.

At this time G.C. Cameron was lead tenor (another brother-in-law of Berry Gordy as he also married Gwen Gordy who had divorced Fuqua in 1968) but he was still under contract at Motown as a solo artist so he persuaded his cousin Philippé Wynne to replace him in the group.

Whilst at Motown they achieved just four R&B chart hits but at Atlantic they went on to have 32 R&B hits between 1972-84 with 6 reaching #1 and a total of 16 Top 10 hits with 7 crossing over to be Top 10 Hot 100 hits.

Fambrough sharing lead on "Ghetto Child" (far left) with Philippé Wynne (right) and Bobby Smith (centre). Intro by Pervis Jackson.

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