Ruby & the Romantics

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Ruby & the Romantics was an American R&B group in the 1960s. They had several pop and R&B chart records but are sometimes considered as a 'one-hit wonder' for topping the charts in 1963 with their first recording, "Our Day Will Come", written by Mort Garson and Bob Hilliard.

Ruby Nash, the female lead of the group, originally sang with an all-girl group, consisting of her sister and two friends. They sang at record hops, mixers, talent shows and clubs in Akron and surrounding areas. Some of the male members of the Romantics sang with The Embers. Eventually, The Embers became known as The Supremes^{[citation needed]} (not to be confused with Detroit's The Supremes, of Motown Records fame),^{[citation needed]} and then The Feilos.

Since they all grew up in Akron^{[citation needed]} and knew each other, Leroy Fann, a member of The Supremes, asked Ruby to sing with them on occasions.^{[citation needed]} After auditioning, the group was signed to New York-based Kapp Records, and the group changed their name to "Ruby & the Romantics".^{[citation needed]}

An Abraham Lincoln quotation over the stage in the auditorium at Akron Central High School, where the group members attended may have been the inspiration for "Our Day Will Come" - "I will study and get ready, and some day my chance will come". Those who attended Akron Central High School in the early 1960s will recall hearing that song sung between classes by members of the group. The follow-up, "My Summer Love" reached #16 on the Hot 100 and a third release, the original version of "Hey There Lonely Boy" climbed to #27.

Several more singles were released by Kapp which generally achieved minor chart status. A short spell with ABC was unsuccessful while one single for A&M in 1969 ("Hurting Each Other", originally recorded by Jimmy Clanton some years earlier) proved to be their final recording before the group broke up in 1971. The group had remained intact throughout their recording career, as confirmed by Ruby in an interview in 2008 with Marv Goldberg (R&B Notebooks).

Some of the songs they recorded went on to be hits for other artists, such as "Hey There Lonely Boy" (which was recorded by Eddie Holman as "Hey There Lonely Girl" and peaked in the U.S. at #2 in February of 1970); "Hurting Each Other" recorded for A&M in 1969 which became a #2 hit for The Carpenters three years later; and "When You're Young And In Love" (recorded by The Marvelettes which peaked at #23 in the U.S. in May 1967. British a cappella band The Flying Pickets also took the song to number 7 in the UK Singles Chart in 1984). Additionally, "Our Day Will Come" was covered by Frankie Valli and peaked at #11 in the US in the fall of 1975.

The names of the "Romantics" were:

• Ed Roberts (second tenor) - Worked as a bank teller. Died of cancer on August 10, 1993.^{[citation needed]}
• George Lee (first tenor) - deceased (cancer)
• Ronald Mosley (baritone) - deceased.^{[citation needed]}
• Leroy Fann (bass) - Died by violence in New York in 1973.^{[citation needed]}

Postscript

• Ruby & the Romantics were given a Pioneer Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1997.
• Buddy Miles drummed for the group when he was 16 years old.^{[citation needed]}
• Ruby's married name is Garnett (not Curtis, as suggested elsewhere) and she has been married for over 40 years.

Recordings

• 1963 "Our Day Will Come" - Kapp KS3323, 1985 Charly CRM2030
• 1963 Till Then - Kapp KS3341
• 1966 Greatest Hits - Kapp KS3458 (stereo), 1980 MCA 541
• 1967 Ruby & the Romantics - Kapp KS3526
• 1968 More Than Yesterday - ABC ABCS638