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Jimmy Ellis (Trammps) R.i.p.

He was always humble. Just a country boy singing music

Posted by Roburt

Published | Last Updated:    21

Jimmy Ellis (Trammps) R.i.p.

Don't think that this is common knowledge yet ........

Jimmy Ellis of the Trammps passed away in March.

http://www.heraldonl...erno-jimmy.html

 

 

added by site

a clip from a news item featured on the Charlotter Observer...

the full article can be read here...

http://www.charlotte...erno-jimmy.html

 

 

ROCK HILL James T. "Jimmy" Ellis - who grew up in a shotgun shack on Pond Street in Rock Hill's Crawford Road neighborhood - died Thursday. He was 74...

 

...Jimmy Ellis, the oldest of six children whose father died when he was just a kid, got his start singing where all black kids did in those days - in church. He and brother Johnny and two other guys sang at dances at St. Mary Catholic Church and other places around Rock Hill and won every talent show in town as the "Four Knights."

 

Ellis formed a band called The Exceptions, then The Trammps in the late 1960s - both based in Philadelphia.

 

"They toured with James Brown; they were all over the place," said Johnny Ellis.

 

And all the while, when not on tour, Jimmy Ellis worked in a meat-packing plant or at a hospital or in a Navy supply depot to make extra money for his wife and two children, Erika and Jimmy II.

 

"It was nothing for my father to finish a tour and to stay busy, work two jobs," his daughter Erika said. "He was always humble. Just a country boy singing music."

 

Read more here: http://www.charlotte...l#storylink=cpy




Author Profile: Roburt

John Smith | Roburt

76 years old, born in Doncaster. First got into soul in 1965. Attended nighters @ King Mojo, Nite Owl & Wheel. Started out as a mod - mohair suits, Ben Shermans, brogues & a Lambretta. Started collecting vinyl seriously in 1966 (first fulltime job). Spent time chatting with hero Garnett Mimms in 1967 (Mojo dressing room). Started buying B&S in 1969. Loves all types of soul and gospel but brought up on Stax style stuff. Regular guest on Sealing's Radio Hallam show (1980's). Started writing for soul fanzines in the 1980's and still does. Ran Lou Ragland's 1990 UK tour. Loves researching soul facts.

Explore more of their work on their author profile page.

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    Veteran

    Roburt

    Members

    Before helping form the Tramps, Jimmy was lead singer for the Exceptions (Cameo) / Four Exceptions(Parkway).

    Guest Paul

    Guest Paul

    Guests

    Sad to hear about that.

    Tape Swappers Fav

    p0stscript

    Members

    another sad loss

    Veteran

    Keithw

    Members

    was he the "Happy to be " man ? on century city

    Veteran

    Chalky

    Members

    I'm just reading the story of the Trammps, well the story of the Volcanos and the Trammps, called Behind The Curtains.

    Another sad loss.

    R.I.P Jimmy.

    Long Time

    Mr Soul

    Members

    SAD NEWS INDEED,THE EXCEPTIONS ON GROOVEY GROOVES,AND IMPACT IN A RAWER VERSION,ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVES,R.I.P. JIMMY

    Veteran

    Ian Parker

    Members

    sad sad day. The Trammps epitomised the 70's soul/funk scene for me. who could resist the intro to Disco inferno? wonderful! saw them at Baileys , Leicester many years ago

    RIP Mr Ellis

    Veteran

    Ian Dewhirst

    Members

    Damn, damn, damn. My favourite group vocalist of all time from my favourite group of all time. Jimmy Ellis really was a huge part of the soundtrack of my whole life. I was lucky enough to play a couple of gigs with 'em - Cleethorpes Pier in the mid 70's and Baltic Soul last year plus I've been re-listening to their entire catalogue again just lately with several of Jimmy's vocals on the recent Philadelphia International releases, so this is a real shock.

    EVERYONE knew Jimmy's voice. Who hasn't heard 'Disco Inferno' in their lives? Now there's a f*ckin' vocal!

    RIP Jimmy.

    Ian D

    Veteran

    Roburt

    Members

    Jimmy had been in a nursing home in S.C. when he passed. He had been battling Alzheimers for the last 3 years.

    Here he is with his gold disc for "Disco Inferno".

    post-22122-0-71567200-1331277717_thumb.j

    Long Time

    Tfk

    Members

    I'm just reading the story of the Trammps, well the story of the Volcanos and the Trammps, called Behind The Curtains.

    Another sad loss.

    R.I.P Jimmy.

    Oh dear-one of the true true greats of the Philadelphia R&b/soul music scene,.

    Awesome awesome vocalist !!!!

    Jimmy Ellis

    RIP

    [1937 -2012]

    Veteran

    Agentsmith

    Members

    just read the herald edict and thats a truly unrehearsed, astonishing piece....couldn't have put it better. i dont profess to being knowledgeable on group line-ups, so realising that its not only his voice that fronts the trammps, but a whole variety of numbers associated, ironically, with the northern scene, is an eye-opener....you certainly live & learn!

    sheer tenacity handling the lyrics in the manner he did, on disco inferno, bears out to great effect what people are expressing about his vocal range...has to be in the top ten disco records of all-time. all of a sudden it comes to mind that jimmy ellis, for his magnanimous contributions to r & b over 5+ decades sits alongside the greats who have passed by our way. i connect with the volcanoes through to the trammps and am waking up to everything else in between, and all the time jimmy's was the guiding voice...now he's ( to coin a well spun phrase ) "burnin' that mother down" up in heaven city!!. :hatsoff2:

    r.i.p. jimmy ellis

    Veteran

    Kris Holmes

    Members

    RIP

    A great voice. It would probably be a good time to add his name to the Trammps Soulful Kind of Music discography page as he is not credited there at all :(

    Veteran

    Agentsmith

    Members

    RIP

    A great voice. It would probably be a good time to add his name to the Trammps Soulful Kind of Music discography page as he is not credited there at all :(

    sure dave will be on the case, bro

    Guest Polyvelts

    Guest Polyvelts

    Guests

    What a great voice.

    Rip

    Participant

    soultin

    Members

    Great soulful voice,My dad had alzheimers its a cruel world r.i.p..x

    Veteran

    Wilxy

    Members

    R.I.P Sir.....

    Veteran

    Ernie Andrews

    Members

    Very sad indeed. Like ID One of my fav vocalists and was one of the first Northern tunes I heard was by the By VOlcanoes!

    Regular

    iansgee

    Passed-on

    Absolutely love all the Trammps stuff and Jimmy's voice was incredible. Another sad loss to the soul scene but heavens gain.

    Sleep safe Sir and RIP.

    Ian G

    Veteran

    Ian Dewhirst

    Members

    For those who are interested, I'll be doing a mini-tribute to Jimmy Ellis LIVE on the show today.......

    This week we're featuring an Original Mastercuts tribute to the late great Jimmy Ellis - one of my favourite vocalists of all time from one of my favourite groups of all time. So expect a few Trammps tracks OK?

    Six Million Steps Presents The Original Mastercuts Show LIVE with Ian Dewhirst between 2.00-4.00pm on Sunday 18th March 2012 on everyone's favourite Soul station www.starpointradio.com.

    Featuring......

    The Trammps * Tortured Soul * Mascara feat Luther Vandross * The Blackbyrds * Raydio * George Benson * Eon * Anthony White feat Millie Jackson * The Trammps * Ronnie Walker * Barbara Acklin * Leon Haywood * Cecil Parker * Jimmy James * Al Johnson & Jean Carn * Kool & The Gang * Stephanie Mills * The Trammps

    See you @ 2.00-4.00pm!

    Ian D :D

    Veteran

    JOE TORQUAY

    Passed-on

    I HEARD THE TRAMMPS WERE GOING TO BE ON AT PRESTATYN LAST OCTOBER UNTIL IT WAS CANCELLED,

    DON'T KNOW IF JIMMY WAS STILL LEADING THE TRAMMPS BUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO SEE THEM ONCE MORE,

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