- Ruby & the Romantics
Ruby & The Romantics was an American early 1960s R'n'B group, frequently considered a
one-hit wonder , which topped the charts once with 1963's "Our Day Will Come ", written byMort Garson andBob Hilliard .Ruby Nash Curtis (bornNovember 12 1939 , Akron,Ohio ), the female lead of the group, originally sang with an all-girl group , consisting of her sister and two friends. They sang atrecord hop s, mixers,talent show s and clubs in Akron and surrounding areas.Some of the male members of the Romantics sang with The Embers. Eventually, The Embers became known as The SupremesFact|date=June 2007 (not to be confused with Detroit's
The Supremes ofMotown Records fame).Fact|date=June 2007Since they all grew up in AkronFact|date=June 2007 and knew each other, Leroy Fann, a member of The Supremes, asked Curtis to sing with them on occasions.Fact|date=June 2007 The group auditioned for and was signed to
Kapp Records , and the group changed their name from The "Supremes" to "Ruby and the Romantics".Fact|date=June 2007An
Abraham Lincoln quotation over the stage in the auditorium at Akron Central High School, where the group members attended may have been the inspiration for "Our Day Will Come" - "I will study and get ready, and some day my chance will come". Those who attended Akron Central High School in the early 1960s will recall hearing thatsong sung between classes by members of the group. After the group's success with "Our Day Will Come" in 1963, different members of the group argued over various mattersFact|date=January 2007. After repeated attempts to match their earlier success, the group had a complete line-up change in 1965.In 1968, an all-female lineup was brought in.Fact|date=June 2007 The group broke up in 1971. But many of the songs they recorded went on to be hits for other artists, such as "Hurting Each Other" (a #2 hit in the
United States forThe Carpenters in February 1972), "Hey There Lonely Boy" (which was recorded byEddie Holman as "Hey There Lonely Girl" and peaked in the U.S. at #2 in February of 1970) and "When You're Young And In Love" (recorded byThe Marvelettes and peaked at #23 in the U.S. in May 1967). Britisha cappella bandThe Flying Pickets also took the song to number 7 in theUK Singles Chart in 1984). Additionally, "Our Day Will Come" was additionally covered byFrankie Valli and peaked at #11 in the U.S. in the fall of 1975.The names of individuals who were the "Supremes" when they became the "Romantics" are:
* Ed Roberts (
tenor ) - Worked as abank teller . Died ofcancer onAugust 10 1993 .Fact|date=June 2007
* George Lee (tenor) - Was working in New York.Fact|date=June 2007
* Ronald Mosley (baritone ) - Nursing Home in the Akron area.Fact|date=June 2007
* Leroy Fann (bass) - Died by violence in New York in 1973.Fact|date=June 2007Postscript
* Ruby & the Romantics were given a Pioneer Award by the
Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1997.
*Buddy Miles drummed for the group when he was 16 years old.Fact|date=June 2007Recordings
* 1963 "
Our Day Will Come " - Kapp KS3323, 1985 Charly CRM2030
* 1963 "Till Then" - Kapp KS3341
* 1966 "Greatest Hits" - Kapp KS3458 (stereo), 1980 MCA 541
* 1967 "Ruby & the Romantics" - Kapp KS3526
* 1968 "More Than Yesterday" - ABC ABCS638
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