Ruby & the Romantics

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Ruby & The Romantics was an American doo-wop group, frequently considered a one-hit wonder, which topped the charts once with 1963's "Our Day Will Come".

Ruby Nash Curtis (born 12 November 1939 New York), 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 some clubs in Akron, Ohio and surrounding areas.

Some of the male members of the "Romantics" sang with a local group called "The Embers". Over time changes occurred and "The Embers" became "The Supremes". Since they all grew up in Akron and knew each other, Leroy Fann, a member of "The Supremes", asked Ruby to sing with them on a few occasions. All were satisfied with the new arrangement. The group auditioned for and was signed to Kapp Records, which changed their name from The "Supremes" to "Ruby and the Romantics".

After the group's success with "Our Day Will Come" in 1963, different members of the group argued over various matters^{[citation needed]}. After repeated attempts to match their earlier success, the group had a complete lineup change in 1965.

In 1968 an all-female lineup was brought in. The group broke up in 1971. But many of the songs they recorded went on to be hits for other artists, such as "Hurting Each Other" (a #2 hit in the United States for The Carpenters in February 1972), "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) and "When You're Young And In Love" (recorded by The Marvelettes and peaking at #23 in the U.S. in May 1967). Additionally, "Our Day Will Come" itself was covered by Frankie Valli and peaked at #11 in the U.S. in the fall of 1975.

The names of guys who were the "Supremes" when they became the "Romantics" are:

Ed Roberts (tenor) - Worked as a bank teller. Died of cancer on August 10, 1993.
George Lee (tenor) - Was working in New York, probably retired.
Ronald Mosley (baritone) - Nursing-Home in the Akron area.
Leroy Fann (bass) - Died by violence in New York in 1973.

Post-Script

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.