Discography and Biography of Jimmy Ruffin. Listen to all their hits.
Jimmy Ruffin Songs

(with biography below if available)

Jimmy Ruffin (born Jimmie Lee Ruffin,[3] May 7, 1936 - November 17, 2014) was an American soul singer, and elder brother of David Ruffin of the Temptations. He had several hit records between the 1960s and 1980s, the most successful being the Top 10 hits "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" and "Hold On (To My Love)". "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" remained Ruffin's best-known song. Follow-ups in the US were successful, with "I've Passed This Way Before" and "Gonna Give Her All the Love I've Got" reaching the US charts in late 1966 and early 1967. Jimmy Ruffin found success in the United States difficult to sustain, and began to concentrate instead on the British market. In 1970, "Farewell Is a Lonely Sound", "I'll Say Forever My Love" and "It's Wonderful (To Be Loved By You)" each made the UK top ten. He also teamed up with brother David to record the album I Am My Brother's Keeper, a modestly successful 1970 album for Motown. He eventually left Motown, and recorded for the Polydor and Chess labels, where he recorded "Tell Me What You Want," which reached #39 in the US charts in 1974. In 1980, Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees produced his album Sunrise and the hit single "Hold On To My Love", which reached #10 in the US and #7 in the UK, on the RSO label which was his last chart hit.

Below is a list of Jimmy Ruffin songs, sorted by the most popular first. Place mouse on to see information about song. Click song title to play song and to read details about the song including lyrics (if available). Click year to list all songs from that year. Click label to list songs from that record label. Songs with chart position "---" either never made it into the US top 100 R&B or UK charts or we have no details of their highest chart positions if they did.

(Song are sorted in highest US R&B Top 100 and/or UK Top 100 chart position order)


showing 1-50 of 50 records
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artist discography/bio
read song lyrics, etc.
year
record label
1 record label: Tamla Motown 577
chart position: RandB #6, US #7, UK #8
written by: William Weatherspoon, Paul Riser & James Dean
album: Jimmy Ruffin Sings Top Ten / Greatest Hits (UK compilation) / British Motown Chartbusters Vol.1
comments: [Motown Sound]
Jimmy Ruffin What Becomes of the Brokenhearted?
1966 Tamla Motown
2 record label: RSO 1021
chart position: RandB #29, UK #7, US #10, US AC #32
written by: Robin Gibb & Blue Weaver
album: Sunrise
Jimmy Ruffin Hold On to My Love
1980 RSO
3 record label: Soul 35027
chart position: RandB #10, US #17, UK #29
written by: James Dean & William Weatherspoon
album: Jimmy Ruffin Sings Top Ten / Greatest Hits (UK compilation) / British Motown Chartbusters Vol.2
comments: [Motown Sound]
Jimmy Ruffin I've Passed This Way Before
1966 Soul
4 record label: Tamla Motown 753(UK)
chart position: UK #6
written by: James Dean and William Witherspoon
album: Ruff'n Ready / Greatest Hits (UK compilation) / Motown Chartbusters Vol. 5
comments: [Motown Sound]
Jimmy Ruffin It's Wonderful (To Be Loved by You)
1970 Tamla Motown
5 record label: Soul 35032
chart position: RandB #14, US #29, UK #26
written by: Norman Whitfield & Barrett Strong
album: Jimmy Ruffin Sings Top Ten / Greatest Hits (UK compilation) / British Motown Chartbusters Vol.1
comments: [Motown Sound]
Jimmy Ruffin Gonna Give Her All the Love I've Got
1967 Soul
6 record label: Tamla Motown 740(UK)
chart position: UK #7
written by: James Dean, William Weatherspoon and Stephen Bowden
album: Ruff'n Ready / Greatest Hits (UK compilation) / Motown Chartbusters Vol. 5
comments: [Motown Sound] (re release}
Jimmy Ruffin I'll Say Forever My Love
1970 Tamla Motown
7 record label: Soul 35060
chart position: UK #8, US #104
written by: Jack Goga, James Dean and William Weatherspoon
album: Ruff'n Ready / Greatest Hits (UK compilation) / Motown Chartbusters Vol. 4
comments: [Motown Sound]
Jimmy Ruffin Farewell Is a Lonely Sound
1969 Soul
8 record label: Tamla Motown 911 (UK)
chart position: UK #4
written by: William Weatherspoon, Paul Riser and James Dean
album: Motown Chartbusters Vol. 9
comments: [Motown Sound] (re-release)
Jimmy Ruffin What Becomes of the Brokenhearted
1974 Tamla Motown
9 record label: Chess 2160
chart position: RandB #42, US #39, US Dance #5
written by: Jimmy Ruffin
album: Jimmy Ruffin
Jimmy Ruffin Tell Me What You Want
1974 Chess
10 record label: Highrise 2004
chart position: RandB #17
weeksinr&bchart: 15
written by: Jimmy Ruffin
comments: [ballad]
Maxine Nightingale featuring Jimmy Ruffin Turn to Me
1982 Highrise
11 record label: Soul 35076
chart position: RandB #24, US Dance #61
written by: Ben E. King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
album: I Am My Brother's Keeper / Greatest Hits (UK compilation)
comments: [Motown Sound]
David & Jimmy Ruffin Stand by Me
1970 Soul
12 record label: Epic 850339
chart position: US Dance #22
written by: James Dean, Jimmy Ruffin and John Glover
Jimmy Ruffin Fallin' in Love with You
1977 Epic
13 record label: Tamla Motown 617
chart position: RandB #27, US #68
written by: Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield and Rodger Penzabene
album: Ruff'n Ready / Greatest Hits (UK compilation)
comments: [Motown Sound]
Jimmy Ruffin Don't You Miss Me a Little Bit, Baby
1967 Tamla Motown
14 record label: Tamla Motown 767(UK)
chart position: UK #51
written by: James Dean and William Weatherspoon
album: The Groove Governor / Greatest Hits (UK compilation)
comments: [Motown Sound]
Jimmy Ruffin Let's Say Goodbye Tomorrow
1971 Tamla Motown
15 record label: Tamla Motown 961
chart position: US #77, UK #52
written by: James Dean, William Weatherspoon and Stephen Bowden
album: Ruff 'N Ready
comments: [Motown Sound]
Jimmy Ruffin I'll Say Forever My Love
1968 Tamla Motown
16 record label: Virgin 859 (UK)
chart position: UK #80
written by: Luther Vandross, Gregory, Craig Marsh, Ware, Plytas
Jimmy Ruffin with Heaven 17 My Sensitivity (Gets in the Way) -- The Foolish Thing to Do
1986 Virgin
17 record label: Jive 2048 (UK)
chart position: UK #87
written by: P. Riser, J. Dean, W. Witherspoon
album: The Motown Song Book
Ruby Turner & Jimmy Ruffin What Becomes of the Broken Hearted
1988 Jive
18 record label: ERC 109
chart position: UK #95
written by: Bob Mitchell, Jamie, Kaleth
Jimmy Ruffin & Jackson Moore I'm Gonna Love You Forever
1984 ERC
19 record label: EMI 5514 (UK)
chart position: UK #68
written by: Jimmy Ruffin
Jimmy Ruffin There Will Never Be Another You
1985 EMI
20 record label: Soul 35046
chart position: Cashbox R&B #48
written by: Whitfield, Holland, Kendricks
album: Ruff 'n Ready
comments: [Motown Sound]
Jimmy Ruffin Lonely Lonely Man Am I
1968 Soul
21 record label: Soul 35077
chart position: US #97
written by: Allen Story, George Gordy (as Horgay Gordy), Laurence Brown and Linda Glover
album: The Groove Governor / Greatest Hits (UK compilation)
comments: [Motown Sound]
Jimmy Ruffin Maria (You Were the Only One)
1971 Soul
22 record label: Tamla Motown 664
chart position: US #113
written by: Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield
album: Ruff'n Ready / Greatest Hits (UK compilation)
comments: [Motown Sound]
Jimmy Ruffin Don't Let Him Take Your Love from Me
1968 Tamla Motown
23 record label: Soul 35016
chart position: US #120
written by: Smokey Robinson (as William Robinson)
album: Jimmy Ruffin Sings Top Ten / Greatest Hits (UK compilation)
comments: [Motown Sound]
Jimmy Ruffin As Long As There Is L-O-V-E Love
1966 Soul
-- record label: Soul 35092
written by: Fuqua, Bristol, Johnson
album: Forever
comments: [Motown Sound]
Jimmy Ruffin You Gave Me Love
1972 Soul
-- record label: Soul 35092
written by: L. Brown
album: The Groove Governor
comments: [Motown Sound]
Jimmy Ruffin Our Favorite Melody
1972 Soul
-- record label: Miracle 1
written by: Jimmy Ruffin
Jimmy Ruffin Don't Feel Sorry For Me
1961 Miracle
-- record label: Soul 35002
written by: Norman Whitfield
album: Sings Top Ten
comments: [Motown Sound]
Jimmy Ruffin Since I've Lost You
1964 Soul
-- record label: Soul 35002
written by: Holland, Whitfield
album: Sings Top Ten
comments: [Motown Sound]
Jimmy Ruffin I Want Her Love
1964 Soul
-- record label: Soul 35016
written by: Gilliam, Potts, Whitfield
album: Sings Top Ten
comments: [Motown Sound]
Jimmy Ruffin How Can I Say I'm Sorry
1965 Soul
-- record label: Soul 35027
written by: J. Dean, Wm. Weatherspoon, P. Riser
album: Sings Top Ten
comments: [Motown Sound]
Jimmy Ruffin Tomorrow's Tears
1966 Soul
-- record label: Miracle 1
written by: Jimmy Ruffin
Jimmy Ruffin Heart
1961 Miracle
-- record label: Soul 35022
written by: Wm. Weatherspoon, S. Moy, Wm. Stevenson
album: Greatest Hits (UK compilation)
comments: [Motown Sound]
Jimmy Ruffin Baby I've Got It
1966 Soul
-- record label: Soul 35032
written by: J. Dean, Wm. Weatherspoon
album: Sings Top Ten
comments: [Motown Sound]
Jimmy Ruffin World So Wide, Nowhere To Hide (From Your Heart)
1967 Soul
-- record label: Soul 35053
written by: Penzabene, Whitfield, Strong
album: Ruff 'N Ready
comments: [Motown Sound]
Jimmy Ruffin Sad And Lonesome Feeling
1968 Soul
-- record label: Soul 35043
written by: Holland, Whitfield
album: Ruff 'n Ready
comments: [Motown Sound]
Jimmy Ruffin Everybody Needs Love
1969 Soul
-- record label: Soul 35060
written by: Frank Wilson
album: The Groove Governor
comments: [Motown Sound]
Jimmy Ruffin If You Will Let Me, I Know I Can
1970 Soul
-- record label: Soul 35077
written by: Story, Brown, Gordy
album: The Groove Governor / Greatest Hits (UK compilation)
comments: [Motown Sound]
Jimmy Ruffin Living In A World I Created For Myself
1970 Soul
-- record label: Tamla Motown 5086
written by: Goffin, King
album: Sings Top Ten
comments: [Motown Sound]
Jimmy Ruffin Halfway To Paradise
1970 Tamla Motown
-- record label: Tamla Motown 784 (UK)
written by: J. Dean, Wm. Weatherspoon
comments: [Motown Sound]
Jimmy Ruffin On The Way Out (On The Way In)
1971 Tamla Motown
-- record label: Tamla Motown 784 (UK)
written by: Jimmy Webb
album: The Groove Governor
comments: [Motown Sound]
Jimmy Ruffin Honey Come Back
1971 Tamla Motown
-- record label: Atco 6926
written by: J. Ruffin
album: Jimmy Ruffin
Jimmy Ruffin Tears of Joy
1974 Atco
-- record label: Atco 6926
written by: J. Ruffin, J. Roach
Jimmy Ruffin Goin' Home
1974 Atco
-- record label: Chess 2168
written by: M. Bailey, B. Sigler
album: Jimmy Ruffin
comments: [philly sound]
Jimmy Ruffin What You See (Ain't Always What You Get)
1975 Chess
-- record label: Polydor 2058 586 (UK)
written by: McMurray
album: Love Is All We Need
Jimmy Ruffin Give You All The Love I've Got
1975 Polydor
-- record label: RSO 2090 465 (UK)
written by: R. Gibb, B. Weaver
album: Sunrise
Jimmy Ruffin Searchin'
1980 RSO
-- record label: RSO 1042
written by: R. Gibb, B. Weaver
album: Sunrise
Jimmy Ruffin Night Of Love
1980 RSO
-- record label: Polydor 2058401 (UK)
written by: Jimmy Ruffin
album: Jimmy Ruffin
comments: [philly sound]
Jimmy Ruffin Thank You Girl
1973 Polydor
-- record label: RSO 3078
written by: B R M Gibb
album: Sunrise
comments: [album cut]
Jimmy Ruffin Forever
1980 RSO
-- record label: Soul 35053
written by: N. Whitfield, B. Strong
album: Ruff'n Ready / Greatest Hits (UK compilation)
comments: [Motown Sound]
Jimmy Ruffin Gonna Keep On Tryin' Till I Win Your Love
1968 Soul
-- record label: RSO 3078
written by: Blue Weaver, Robin Gibb
album: Sunrise
comments: [album cut]
Jimmy Ruffin Changin' Me
1980 RSO




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