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Jimmy Ellis (Trammps) R.i.p.

He was always humble. Just a country boy singing music

By Roburt in News Archives
Updated on 03 Oct 2015 · Published 08 Mar 2012

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Jimmy Ellis (Trammps) R.i.p. magazine cover

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



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Roburt

Roburt 2,689

Posted

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

Guest Paul

Guest Paul

Posted

Sad to hear about that.

Keithw

Keithw 129

Posted

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

Chalky

Chalky 17,410

Posted

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.

Mr Soul

Mr Soul 75

Posted

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

Ian Parker

Ian Parker 680

Posted

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

Ian Dewhirst

Ian Dewhirst 2,517

Posted

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

Roburt

Roburt 2,689

Posted

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

Tfk

Tfk 504

Posted

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]

Agentsmith

Agentsmith 978

Posted

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

Kris Holmes

Kris Holmes 279

Posted

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 :(

Agentsmith

Agentsmith 978

Posted

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

Posted

What a great voice.

Rip

soultin

soultin 2

Posted

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

Wilxy

Wilxy 772

Posted

R.I.P Sir.....

Ernie Andrews

Ernie Andrews 507

Posted

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!

iansgee

iansgee 10

Posted

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

Ian Dewhirst

Ian Dewhirst 2,517

Posted

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

JOE TORQUAY

JOE TORQUAY 84

Posted

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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