MOTOWN LEGEND JIMMY RUFFIN DEAD: “WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN HEARTED?”

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Legendary Motown singer JIMMY RUFFIN, best known for his 1960s Top 40 chartbuster “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted” is dead at 78.

Reportedly, he had been very ill and intensive care in a Las Vegas hospital, the BBC reported.

Jimmy’s other hits included “I've Passed This Way Before”, “Gonna Give Her All the Love I Got” and “Hold On To My Love”, a top 10 hit in 1980.

Born in Mississippi, Ruffin moved to the Motor City, Detroit, in the early 1960s. He velvety voice garnered him a contract and was signed to Motown's Miracle label under the aegis of Smokey Robinson.

Ruffin later moved to England in the 1980s, where he recorded songs with Paul Weller and Heaven 17.

Jimmy’s younger brother, David, an early member of The Temptations, had died in 1991 of a drug overdose.  Jimmy then became a virulent anti-drug campaigner.

Ruffin was "a rare type of man who left his mark on the music industry", a family statement said. "We will treasure the many fond and wonderful memories we all have of him.

Motown Records founder Berry Gordy said Ruffin was a truly "phenomenal singer".

"He was truly underrated because we were also fortunate to have his brother, David, as the lead singer of The Temptations, who got so much acclaim" he told music mag Rolling Stone.

Adios, amigo.