Enjoying the same social circle as Motown acts the Temptations and the Bee Gees, soul R&B musician Jimmy Ruffin bounded down the track of musical fame from a young age. The brother of Temptations vocalist David Ruffin and cousin of Temptation Melvin Franklin, Jimmy spent most of his career contributing hit singles and albums to the black and pop charts, even garnering a number one with the disco single "Tell Me What You Want" in 1974.

Ruffin grew up in Collinsville, Mississippi as the son of a minister, eventually abandoning gospel music for a career as a session singer in the 1960s. Before being drafted into the Army in the early ‘60s, Ruffin joined Motown Records, leaving him with an offer to join the Temptations when he returned. Turning down the gig but instead recommending his brother David for the job, Ruffin enjoyed commercial success with the 1966 single "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted." The single was an immediate Top Ten hit in the U.S. and the U.K., spreading the vocalist's fame in Britain. By 1970, Ruffin was voted the world's top singer in Britain, with songs like "I'll Say Forever My Love" and "It's Wonderful" solidifying the country's claim.

The Ruffin Brothers emerged in the early ‘70s, but quickly disbanded when David and Jimmy received little success as a duo. Deterring from the path of Motown, Ruffin eventually came back to the music scene in 1980 with the hit single "Hold On to My Love," a track produced by Bee Gee Robin Gibb. The song was Ruffin's first U.S. Top 30 hit in 14 years, and he continued to release singles like "Turn to Me" and "There Will Never Be Another You" in the ‘80s before his final musical stint, a gig with Ian Levine's Motor City label in 1988 and two successive singles with Brenda Holloway.