Henry Lee Fambrough (May 10, 1938 – February 7, 2024) was an American vocalist, known for being a member of the R&B quintet The Spinners (also called The Detroit Spinners and The Motown Spinners) from 1954 until his retirement in April 2023. He was the last surviving original member of The Spinners from 2013 until his death.

The Spinners

thumb|left|alt=The Spinners standing together, dressed in matching suits|Henry Fambrough (second from right) as part of [[The Spinners (American R&B group)|The Spinners in 1965]]

The Spinners formed in 1954 in Ferndale, Michigan, as the Domingoes before changing their name to the Spinners. Fambrough was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1961 and on his return two years later, the Spinners signed up under Motown Records. They did not have any big hits for the next six years, and Fambrough ended up working as a chauffeur for the mother of label boss Berry Gordy Jr.

During the group's heyday from the early to mid-1970s, Henry served as one of the group's three lead singers (along with Philippé Wynne and Bobby Smith) as well as co-lead vocals with Wynne on "Living a Little, Laughing a Little".

On the group's classic single "Ghetto Child", he shared leads with Wynne and Smith.

Retirement

In April 2023, Fambrough announced his retirement, but the Spinners continued to perform without him, and he remained involved with the group behind the scenes. He was in the group for sixty-nine years. The following month, the Spinners were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, sixty-nine years after forming, and thirty-seven years after first being eligible to be inducted.

Following his announcement on retiring, he told Spinners fans: "The Spinners are still here and still singing for our people who want to hear us. And that's not going to change. We'll still be there for them."

References

Sources

  • Tom Meros, "The Spinners' Henry Fambrough talks to Tom about their history", YouTube.