Pervis Jackson born 17 May 1938

Pervis Jackson (May 17, 1938 – August 18, 2008) was an American R&B singer, noted as the bass singer for The Spinners, and was one of the group's original members as well as their spokesman. He was a member of the Spinners from its formation in 1954 until his death in August 2008.

The fine art of blending vocals in a group is one that was beautifully exemplified by the line-up of the Detroit Spinners. The group's foundation was the bass singing of Pervis Jackson, to which was added Henry Fambrough's baritone and the tenor voices of Bobbie Smith and Billy Henderson. These four were the group's mainstays, but additional fifth members who came and went included Philippe Wynne, whose distinctive falsetto and high tenor graced several hits between 1972 and 1977. 

Known simply as the Spinners in the US, where there was little chance of their being mistaken for the Liverpudlian folk group of the same name, they spanned the doo-wop, rhythm'n'blues, soul, funk and disco eras and recorded both for Motown in Detroit in the 1960s and for Atlantic in the 1970s, working under the auspices of the producer Thom Bell at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia. Jackson's distinctive deep tones came to the fore on "Working My Way Back To You", their 1980 UK chart-topper – he's the one booming "Been prayin' every day" – and on "They Just Can't Stop It (Games People Play)", one of the group's 10 US Top 20 hits.

                                     

Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Jackson moved to Ferndale, a small town just outside Detroit, when he was seven and met most of the future Spinners at Lincoln High School. Originally called the Domingoes, they renamed themselves after a brand of hubcaps and were mentored by Harvey Fuqua of the Moonglows, who sang on their first US hit, the doo-wop ballad "That's What Girls are Made For", and its soulful follow-up, "Love (I'm So Glad) I Found You" in 1961. Fuqua was dating and subsequently married Gwen Gordy, sister of the Motown founder Berry Gordy, and brought his Tri-Phi label under the company's umbrella. Still, the Spinners languished in development hell, only releasing half a dozen singles on Motown and its V.I.P. subsidiary over the next six years. Jackson often worked in the office of the Detroit company, sending out records to stores and DJs. In 1970, the group finally scored another US hit with "It's A Shame", written and produced by Stevie Wonder, and made their chart début in the UK where they were briefly known as the Motown Spinners.

On the advice of their friend Aretha Franklin, they finally left Motown for Atlantic, though they were no higher up the pecking order there until Bell, who had made his name producing the lush, symphonic Philly soul of the Delfonics and the Stylistics, opted to work with them and co-wrote "I'll Be Around" in 1972. Bell had been determined to showcase Jackson in 1975. "Basses are not usually designed to do anything but hold the root, in order to hold it all together. They're not really known for being soloists," recalled the producer. "So I said I'm going to come up with something for that guy. And from the moment I gave him that part, his whole personality changed. He's known for that one thing, but that one thing changed his life: 12.45," said Bell, refering to the lyric that became Jackson's nickname. Indeed, Jackson singing that signature line – "12.45" – on "They Just Can't Stop It (The Games People Play)" always brought the house down wherever the Spinners performed.

Between "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love" in 1973 and the "Cupid/I've Loved You For A Long Time" medley in 1980, the Spinners were a constant fixture on the US and British charts and regulars on Top of the Pops and Soul Train, their matching suits and dance routines on "The Rubberband Man" (1976) and "Working My Way Back To You" as endearing as their vocal harmonies have proved enduring. The group's cover of the Four Seasons' "Working My Way Back To You" held a special meaning for Jackson who was married for 40 years but had long spells away from his wife and family. The Spinners also toured with Dionne Warwick and duetted with her on "Then Came You", a US number one in 1974.

By the mid-1980s, Jackson and the group were playing "oldies" concerts with such groups as the Four Seasons and the Righteous Brothers. The final album for Atlantic was Cross Fire, in 1984, although the group was featured in the record company's 40th anniversary concert in New York in 1988. A big man with a big heart, who took special care of his autistic son, Jackson never considered retirement. He appeared with the Spinners as recently as July 2008 and was diagnosed with brain and liver cancer only a few days before his death at the age of 70, in Detroit, Michigan, on August 18, 2008.He is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery on the city's North side. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023 as a member of the Spinners.

(Edited from obit by Pierre Perrone @ The Independent, Wikipedia & The Guardian) 

Bobby Smith born 10 April 1936

Robert Steel Smith (April 10, 1936 – March 16, 2013), professionally known as Bobby Smith, also spelled Bobbie, was an American R&B singer notable as the principal lead singer of the classic Motown/Philly group, The Spinners (also known as the Detroit Spinners or the Motown Spinners), throughout its history. The group earned nearly a dozen gold records and half a dozen Grammy award nominations. 

Smith was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. The Spinners' story began in 1954 when a group of friends in Ferndale High School, Michigan came together to make music. While the original line-up comprised Billy Henderson, Henry Fambrough, Pervis Jackson, C.P. Spencer and James Edwards, within a few weeks Edwards left and was immediately replaced by Bobbie Smith. Frustrated with frequent misspellings, group members soon sought a new name, and it was the suggestion of Smith, a lifelong car buff, that won the day: "Spinners" was a nickname for high-end hubcaps. 

Smith, who had been the group's lead singer since its inception, sung lead vocals on The Spinners first hit record in 1961, "That's What Girls Are Made For." produced with Harvey Fuqua. This link led the group to Motown Records two years later when Smith 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 hits were sung by Smith. Berry Gordy's Motown label took over Tri-Phi in 1965, but the group struggled to make a big impact on the charts. 

Interestingly, while the Spinners had not garnered much commercial success during their Motown years, they had earned the interest of a young producer named Thom Bell, who felt that the Spinners' tight harmonies and smooth delivery could be the perfect vehicle for his brand of sophisticated soul music.  Along with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, Bell was the architect of the "Philadelphia Sound," a new style of orchestral soul music that borrowed as much from the big bands of the 40s and 50s as from the Motown sound of the 60s, all wrapped up in exquisite production that appealed to adults as much as to the teenagers that AM radio targeted. 

                    

Smith and the Spinners broke big after signing with Atlantic Records in 1971 at the suggestion of Aretha Franklin. A stream of hits followed with Smith's prominent vocals: I'll Be Around, Could It Be I'm Falling in Love, One of a Kind (Love Affair), Then Came You, Games People Play. In 1974, they scored their only #1 Pop hit with "Then Came You" (sung by Smith, in collaboration with superstar Dionne Warwick). All four of these Bobby Smith-led songs were Certified Gold by the R.I.A.A. 

Despite the fact that Smith led on many of the group's biggest hits, many have erroneously credited most of the group's success to its other lead singer, the late Philippé Wynne, who did not join The Spinners until well over a decade after they had formed. (Henry Fambrough also sang lead on some of the Spinners' songs.) The confusion between Smith and Wynne may be due to the similarities in their voices and the fact that they frequently shared lead vocals on many of those hits. 

In fact, 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). In 1977 Wynne left the group and was replaced by John Edwards. In 1979, with the dance craze in full bloom, The Spinners changed direction, teaming with Michael Zager, a moderately successful dance producer whose style was as straightforward and blunt as Bell's was subtle and sophisticated.  Their second single, an unlikely dance remake of the Four Seasons' "Working My Way Back to You," hit the radio and zoomed to the top of the charts.  This led to a smash remake of Sam Cooke's "Cupid" in 1980. 

                                     Bobby Smith, Henry Fambrough, Jonathan Edwards,                                         Billy Henderson & Pervis Jackson

Throughout the years, as lead vocalists came and went, Smith’s vocals were the quintet’s mainstay. The Spinners tried to keep their momentum going all the way through to the 90s but soon were bumped off the charts and relegated to performing in oldies circuits. Bobbie Smith and the group were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999. 

Smith's final performance came in mid-February 2013 during the Soul Train Cruise, said group member Jesse Peck. Smith, who had missed several gigs since his cancer diagnosis in November 2012, was present on the cruise but not expected to perform during The Spinners' set. Then the group began to perform its 1974 hit Then Came You. "Like something out of a movie, Bobby shoots right out onstage and, showman that he is, grabs a mike and sings right on cue," Peck recounted. "The audience went bananas." 

Smith, who battled lung cancer, died of pneumonia and influenza on March 16, 2013, at the age of 76. 

(Edited from Wikipedia & Newsome, USA Today & Soultracks)