The Spinners Artistfacts

1955-
Henry FambroughBaritone
Bobbie SmithTenor1955-2013
Billy HendersonTenor-baritone1955-2004
Pervis JacksonBass1955-2008
George DixonTenor1956-1962
Edgar "Chico" EdwardsTenor1962-1967
G.C. CameronTenor1967-1972, 2000-2003
Philippé WynneTenor1972-1977
John EdwardsTenor1977–2000
The Spinners were signed to Motown Records from 1963-1972, a period when the label was regularly churning out hits, but the group released just two albums during this time and were often conscripted to odd jobs like driving around The Jackson 5. They did have a hit in 1970 with "It's A Shame," co-written by Stevie Wonder, but it wasn't until moving to Atlantic Records in 1972 that they hit their stride, releasing six #1 R&B hits in their first few years there.
A "spinner" is a kind of tricked-out chrome hubcap found on some Cadillacs in the 1950s, which is how they got their name. Group member Bobbie Smith had them on his car.
The Spinners stopped recording in 1989 but continued to tour, with four original members still in the lineup until Billy Henderson left in 2004. After Bobbie Smith's death in 2013, Henry Fambrough was the only remaining member. He kept the group going, and The Spinners released a new album in 2021 called Round the Block and Back Again.
There was a popular folk music group in the UK called The Spinners, so in that territory, they billed themselves as The Detroit Spinners.
Their stint at Atlantic Records nearly ended prematurely. The label paired them with producer Jimmy Roach, who recorded four songs with them, none of which impressed the higher-ups at the label. They were considering dropping the group to cut their losses, but Atlantic had just started working with the Philadelphia producer Thom Bell, who asked to work with them - Bell backed them on piano in the early '60s when they played the Uptown in Philly. Atlantic let him have a shot, and it was a perfect match. Bell found the perfect songs for The Spinners and knew what to do with their sound. With the Sigma Sound Studios house band MFSB backing them, they made a string of hits, including "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love," "I'll Be Around," and "(They Just Can't Stop It The) Games People Play."
Three different lead vocalists sang on their hits: G.C. Cameron on "It's A Shame," Bobbie Smith on "I'll Be Around," and Philippé Wynne on most of the others, sometimes sharing the lead with Smith.

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