Bobby Smith (R&B singer)

Bobby Smith (sometimes spelled Bobbie) (born Robert Smith, 10 April 1936, Detroit, Michigan) 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 (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.

As of 2008, Smith still sings lead with The Spinners.With the death of Spinners member Billy Henderson 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.