Post by Rob Durkee on Mar 9, 2012 13:41:40 GMT -5
JIMMY ELLIS OF THE TRAMMPS OF "DISCO INFERNO" FAME -- RIP
ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA (RTDP) -- Jimmy Ellis, the lead singer of the Trammps, who were most famous for the 1978 hit, "Disco Inferno," died at a nursing here Thursday, March 8, 2012. He was 74.
According to the Associated Press, no cause of death was immediately announced. David Turner of the Bass-Cauthen Funeral Home, also in Rock Hill, confirmed Ellis' passing.
According to the Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock And Roll, the Trammps' roots go back to the mid-1960's, when they were formed in Philadelphia as the Volcanos. Their first single release was 1965's "Storm Warning." They changed their name to the Moods and finally the Trammps. In 1972, the group got its first taste of Cash Box pop chart single success when "Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart" reached #55 on the Buddah label. "Zing" was originally a Judy Garland hit from 1943 that's also been recorded by the Furys and the Coasters.
The Trammps couldn't make the pop chart again until four years later, when two of their releases were #44 hits in 1976. "Hold Back The Night" was on the Buddah label while the followup, "That's Where The Happy People Go," was with Atlantic.
Then came "Disco Inferno" as a release originally in late 1976. The song first peaked at #70 in April, 1977, and seemed to be a largely forgotten hit song. However, the tune got a second chance when it was included in the soundtrack of "Saturday Night Fever."
With its second life, "Disco Inferno" reached #8 on the Cash Box pop chart. The song's beat and its "Burn Baby Burn" hook line made it one of the disco 70's' most famous songs. On September 19, 2005, "Disco Inferno" was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame. Among the singers who've recorded "Disco Inferno" are Tina Turner and Cyndi Lauper. The song still gets played at many of the USA's sports arenas.
"Saturday Night Fever" went on to become the 70's biggest selling LP with world-wide sales of about 25 million copies. Since then, the only soundtrack to rival "Saturday Night Fever" in terms of sales success was "The Bodyguard," which sold over 17 million copies in the USA alone.
At the height of their popularity, the Trammps lineup consisted of Ellis, Earl Young (lead bass), Robert Upchuch (lead baritone) and Harold and Stanley Wade (both tenors).
The Trammps couldn't match the success of "Disco Inferno" and never charted again. The group is believed to have disbanded by the early 1980's. Their last two LP releases were "The Best Of The Trammps" (1978) and "Slipping Out" (1980).
ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA (RTDP) -- Jimmy Ellis, the lead singer of the Trammps, who were most famous for the 1978 hit, "Disco Inferno," died at a nursing here Thursday, March 8, 2012. He was 74.
According to the Associated Press, no cause of death was immediately announced. David Turner of the Bass-Cauthen Funeral Home, also in Rock Hill, confirmed Ellis' passing.
According to the Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock And Roll, the Trammps' roots go back to the mid-1960's, when they were formed in Philadelphia as the Volcanos. Their first single release was 1965's "Storm Warning." They changed their name to the Moods and finally the Trammps. In 1972, the group got its first taste of Cash Box pop chart single success when "Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart" reached #55 on the Buddah label. "Zing" was originally a Judy Garland hit from 1943 that's also been recorded by the Furys and the Coasters.
The Trammps couldn't make the pop chart again until four years later, when two of their releases were #44 hits in 1976. "Hold Back The Night" was on the Buddah label while the followup, "That's Where The Happy People Go," was with Atlantic.
Then came "Disco Inferno" as a release originally in late 1976. The song first peaked at #70 in April, 1977, and seemed to be a largely forgotten hit song. However, the tune got a second chance when it was included in the soundtrack of "Saturday Night Fever."
With its second life, "Disco Inferno" reached #8 on the Cash Box pop chart. The song's beat and its "Burn Baby Burn" hook line made it one of the disco 70's' most famous songs. On September 19, 2005, "Disco Inferno" was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame. Among the singers who've recorded "Disco Inferno" are Tina Turner and Cyndi Lauper. The song still gets played at many of the USA's sports arenas.
"Saturday Night Fever" went on to become the 70's biggest selling LP with world-wide sales of about 25 million copies. Since then, the only soundtrack to rival "Saturday Night Fever" in terms of sales success was "The Bodyguard," which sold over 17 million copies in the USA alone.
At the height of their popularity, the Trammps lineup consisted of Ellis, Earl Young (lead bass), Robert Upchuch (lead baritone) and Harold and Stanley Wade (both tenors).
The Trammps couldn't match the success of "Disco Inferno" and never charted again. The group is believed to have disbanded by the early 1980's. Their last two LP releases were "The Best Of The Trammps" (1978) and "Slipping Out" (1980).
