The Jimmy Ellis record on Salem, "Heaven Has Blessed You"/"Puttin It on Your Mind," is in my opinion a great two-sider, with a tuff uptempo dancer and a nice ballad. It's also in my opinion NOT Jimmie Preacher Ellis, even though it's listed that way on discogs, 45cat, and Wikipedia (AND appears on the Tramp Records Jimmie Preacher Ellis compilation!). Jimmie Preacher Ellis has a distinctive voice that's consistent across all of his records that I know of. The voice on the Salem record does not resemble that voice. Also, why would the L.A.-based Ellis have one record smack dab in the middle of his L.A. recording career come out on a Chicago label with Chicago folks in the credits whom he never had anything to do with before or after? Any thoughts or, even better, actual knowledge appreciated!

Probably way off beam here ... BUT ....

Bobby Rush cut for SALEM and his given name (when born) was Emmett Ellis Jr. So he was a member of the Ellis family. Just maybe he was still signed to another set of producers (Wally Roker / Barry Despenza ?) but unwilling to cut for them again -- so he invented a Christian name & used his original surname to get a 45 out on Salem.

I think you're right that it isn't the same singer. One theory is that it's this Jimmy Ellis, from Kentucky who mostly sang gospel his entire career fronting the Riverview Spiritual Singers. It's not easy to match the voices, but it's certainly a possibility https://youtu.be/vOfaSLV3Qug

Thanks, guys. Roburt, doesn't sound like Bobby Rush to me. Eli, this may be right...voices are in the same ballpark, at least.

Does anyone have the Tramp Jimmie Preacher Ellis compilation? I'm curious about what the liner notes say. I've been able to find parts of the notes online, but not the pertinent section.

13 hours ago, Weingarden said:

Thanks, guys. Roburt, doesn't sound like Bobby Rush to me. Eli, this may be right...voices are in the same ballpark, at least.

Does anyone have the Tramp Jimmie Preacher Ellis compilation? I'm curious about what the liner notes say. I've been able to find parts of the notes online, but not the pertinent section.

Jimmie sounds a little like Jimmie Robins "James Ray Robbins", but my ears are often wrong. Same folks E. Reason and C.Cable were involved with Big Ella Please Don't Hurt Me / Queen on Rush all with Chicago connections.

18 hours ago, Roburt said:

Probably way off beam here ... BUT ....

Bobby Rush cut for SALEM and his given name (when born) was Emmett Ellis Jr. So he was a member of the Ellis family. Just maybe he was still signed to another set of producers (Wally Roker / Barry Despenza ?) but unwilling to cut for them again -- so he invented a Christian name & used his original surname to get a 45 out on Salem.

With that in mind,

Bobby Rush was born Emmett Ellis Jr, the son of pastor Emmett Ellis Sr.

Bobby Rush had nine siblings.

One of them is called Larry James Ellis and he was apparently also in the music business.

Info on the family here:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/134804364/emmett-ellis

He's commonly being referred to as "Larry Ellis" (see photo etc in linked article), but maybe, just MAYBE he released a 45 on the same label as his brother as "Jimmy Ellis". Pure speculation ofcourse on my part, but who knows?

PB Junction

Starlit Night with Bobby Rush Tribute | PB Junction

In spite of the storms outside, Pine Bluff enjoyed a starlit night with a tribute to Grammy winning Blues legend Bobby Rush.

Edited Thursday at 07:453 days by Sebastian

There is a lot of incorrect information on The Internet. A lot of people think that Jimmy "Preacher" Ellis was the Jimmy Ellis in The Trammps. But several people say those people are mistaken, just because The preacher had a record out on "Tramp Records". I remember him very well. He was born in 1934 in Arkansas, an his family moved to Seattle where he spent his childhood. He moved to L.A. to boost his singing career. He had a rough, bluesy style of Soul singing, and was featured in regular work in a lot of different venues there, and cut a lot of records with small, indie Soul labels (a lot of one-shots and 2 record stints. he kept bouncing from label to label.

I heard that the James Ellis who recorded for Salem was a local Chicagoan. He was likely several years younger than The Preacher.

I think that the Jimmy Ellis who was a member of The Trammps was NOT The Preacher. I think he was the Jimmy Ellis who was born in North Carolina. Weren't The Trammps an East-Coast group, working out of Philadelphia? They were too late for me to know anything about them. But I'd bet the farm that Jimmy Preacher Ellis was not in that group. I think he was still a solo act, gigging in the Soul clubs in L.A. during the '70s. I'd bet that Jimmy Ellis of The Trammps, who was born in 1937, was the James Ellis born in North Carolina.

Let's also not forget James Ellis, lead singer of The Satintones (who led on "My Beloved" and "Angel"). He was, of course, based out of Detroit.

It was a very common name. I wouldn't be surprised if there were a few more who were also Soul singers during the 1960s (when Half the Black population was singing in clubs and getting records made (at least demos)).

Edited Friday at 06:072 days by Robbk

Always thought this record deserved more props that it tends to get - at least on the UK scene!