Remembering 2024’s Music Losses: Henry Fambrough

Tweet

As with yesterday’s entry in this monthlong look at the musicians who said goodbye in 2024, we have the last member of a legendary R&B group. And, as with yesterday’s entry, we have someone who was in the group starting in 1954. We get to return to my 100 favorites list today! Henry Fambrough As with Duke Fakir of the Four Tops, you probably don’t recognize the name. However, when I say The Spinners you’re already dancing to their music! And, as with Fakir, Henry Fambrough was the last man standing in the original lineup. It’s hard to believe that the Spinners started in 1954, and they only moved into success in the 1970s. But, like the Four Tops, the era in which the Spinners started was still rife with racism. There was something known as the “Chitlin’ Circuit,” a group of clubs throughout America (not just in the south) that catered to black groups and audiences. That’s where several of the Motown groups got their starts. By the time they were singing things like “Then Came You” and “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love” we’d gotten over segregation. They had a number of big hits on the pop charts and were successful on all of the shows (not just Soul Train). The last living member, Fambrough retired from The Spinners in 2023. The Spinners were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year, giving Fambrough a happy retirement present. Sadly, he didn’t get to enjoy it long, as he passed away in February 2024. Motown’s legacy is deeply rooted in great vocal groups like The Spinners. Henry Fambrough Born Henry Lee Fambrough, May 10, 1938, Monroe, Georgia Died February 7, 2024, Sterling, Virginia (natural causes) (age 85) HALLS OF FAME: Rock and Roll, Rhythm & Blues One of my 100 favorites, “Games People Play (They Just Can’t Stop It)”: