Jimmy Ellis of the Trammps dies aged 74
Written by admin on March 10, 2012 – 1:39 pm -| Lead singer of the Trammps, Jimmy Ellis, died on Thursday from complications associated with Alzheimer’s. He was 74.
Ellis was best known for his great performances on Trammps classics such as “Hold Back the Night” and the Grammy award-winning hit “Disco Inferno”. |
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Jimmy Ellis was born on November 15, 1937, in Rock Hill, South Carolina. He began singing in church as a teenager, before moving to Philadelphia to sing with groups such as the Volcanoes and the Exceptions. The Trammps were formed in 1972 and had early success with a cover of “Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart,” but it was the disco era of the mid-’70s that would produce their most memorable work, including their signature hit “Disco Inferno”.
“Disco Inferno” – The Trammps
A message on the offical Trammps website reads as follows:
| “It is with deep sadness that we report the passing of our friend and original lead singer, Jimmy Ellis, on Thursday, March 8, 2012 in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Jimmy’s contributions to the group, both in his personality and in his amazing tenor, will never be forgotten. We join the Ellis family and friends and fans all over the world in mourning his loss. Jimmy will best be remembered as the Trammps’ lead singer from the group’s beginnings in the early 1970s, through all of our great hits, until his retirement in 2010. God speed, Jimmy. You will always be remembered with love and respect.” |
Ellis is survived by his wife, Beverly; his daughter, Erika; three brothers, Johnny, George Robert and Charles; a sister, Alice Ruth; a son, James III; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
A memorial service is scheduled for next week in North Carolina.
Tags: Disco Inferno, Jimmy Ellis, Jimmy Ellis death, the Trammps
Posted in Obituaries |
