Motown singer Jimmy Ruffin has passed away at a Las Vegas hospital on Monday. His death was confirmed by his children, Philicia Ruffin and Jimmy Lee Ruffin Jr., on Wednesday. At present, no information has been released with respect to the cause of his passing. He was 78.
"Jimmy Ruffin was a rare type of man who left his mark on the music industry. My family in its entirety is extremely upset over his death. He will truly be missed," shared Philicia and the rest of the Ruffin clan in a statement. "We will treasure the many fond and wonderful memories we all have of him," the grieving family added.
Ruffin gained popularity in the 1960s following his decision to sign with Berry Gordy's Motown Records. His career had been marked by numerous notable hits, such as 'I've Passed This Way Before', and 'Gonna Give Her All The Love I've Got'.
However, his most remarkable song had been 'What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted'. This single eventually became part of the Top 10 pop hits. He once again attained this same achievement in his comeback single released in 1980-'Hold On To My Love'. This song had been produced Robin Gibb, one of the members of the band Bee Gees. Gibb passed away in 2012.
Ruffin also collaborated with his younger brother, David Ruffin, who had been the acclaimed lead singer of the band Temptations. The two worked on the popular album 'I Am My Brother's Keeper', which was released in the 1970s. The younger Ruffin succumbed to drug overdose in 1991. He was then only 50 years old, which prompted his brother to become an anti-drug advocate.
Prior to the announcement of his death, Ruffin had been revealed to be battling a serious illness in a report released last month. At present, no concrete details regarding funeral arrangements had been made public.
