Ruby Nash Garnett born 15 June 1934

Ruby Nash Garnett (born June 15, 1934*) is an American singer who led the rhythm and blues group Ruby & The Romantics.(*most sources give false date of November 12th, 1939)

Ruby Nash was born in Akron Ohio and although she listened to all kinds of music when she was growing up, she didn't start singing until she was a senior in high school. She formed a vocal group with her sister and two other friends and made local appearances.

At about the same time, the four male members of the group, Edward Roberts, George Lee, Ronald Mosley and Leroy Fann, had sung together in their high school choir. After graduation in 1961, they decided to try their hand as professionals. The quartet, calling themselves The Feilos, traveled to New York were they recorded for a few small labels, but none of their efforts resulted in hits. Fann had heard Ruby sing and suggested to the others that a female voice might change their fortunes. Through arranger Leroy Kirkland, they subsequently secured a contract with the New York record label 'Kapp' and at the suggestion of the company, changed their name to Ruby And The Romantics.

Allen Stanton, the Artist and Repertoire man at Kapp had first heard "Our Day Will Come" at the home of the song's co-writer Bob Hilliard and it was among the many songs he pitched to the group. When Ruby heard it, she was sure the tune could be a hit and after listening to dozens of possible songs to record, the others agreed.

When the group went in to cut the song, it was the first time Ruby had ever been in a recording studio. Two different arrangements were taped; a straight ahead pop version and second with a bossa nova beat, which proved to be the one released.

                              

On February 23rd, 1963, "Our Day Will Come" entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 79. In just six weeks, it had shot to the top of the US charts, earning a gold record. Over the next 12 months, the group enjoyed a string of six minor hits including "My Summer Love" (#16) and the original version of "Hey There Lonely Boy" (#27) which, with a change of gender, was a number two hit for Eddie Holman in 1971. 

After three years at Kapp, the group signed to the ABC label. In 1965, "Does He Really Care For Me", was the Romantics' last chart entry. In early 1968, ABC tried to lift the Romantics out of the doldrums by issuing an LP called More Than Yesterday. It contained "Una Bella Brazilian Melody" and "This Is No Laughing Matter," along with their renditions of some recent hits: "People," "Up Up And Away," and "What The World Needs Now Is Love." In 1969, Ruby and the Romantics moved over to Herb Alpert's A&M label but the group never recaptured the magic of "Our Day Will Come" and after they toured the oldies circuit for a while, they broke up in 1971.

Ruby settled in Akron, Ohio and went to work for AT&T. She often considered singing with a group again, but wanted to wait until her two sons and a daughter were grown. She did keep in touch with the rest of the original Romantics who stayed in New York. Leroy Fann was killed in 1973 at the age of 37. Edward Roberts worked in a bank and died of cancer on August 10th, 1993. George Lee became a truck driver and died of cancer in 1994. Ronald Mosley passed away on December 3, 2011.

In August, 2001, in Akron, Ohio, Ruby was working at a Salvation Army Thrift Store and was still happy to sign an autograph. Unfortunately, she receives no royalties from her hit records.

  She didn’t sing professionally again until WNEO/WEAO (Channels 45/49) produced a special in 2002 and asked her to perform Our Day Will Come. “It was the first time I’d sung in 27 years. I was scared to death,” she said adding that it was also the first time she had performed the song without the Romantics behind her.

Ruby And Romantics were given a Pioneer Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1997 and were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2007.  As of 2015 Ruby is the only surviving original member.

After researching I found she is still making news and today was named in the Akron Beacon Journal Online as a famous grandmother and member of the LeBron James fan club.

(Info edited from various sources mainly classicbands.com & Marv Goldberg's r&b notebooks)