Ronald & Ruby
Ronald & Ruby were an American interracial pop vocal duo, best known for their 1958 hit single "Lollipop".
The duo's members were the black Ronald Gumm[1] and the white Beverly "Ruby" Ross; interracial pop groups were a rarity at this time, and the group did not appear in public or in major press and television outlets.[2] They had previously worked together as songwriters; among their credits are "Young and Hungry for Love", "Frankenstein Rock", "Fat Pat", "Soul Mates", "Don't Come to My Party", and "The Ghost of Love". In 1958, they released a single together entitled "Lollipop". It became a hit in the U.S., reaching #20 on the Billboard Hot 100.[3] The song would be covered by The Chordettes and The Mudlarks.
They released several further singles, including "Love Birds", none of them hits. Ross continued as a songwriter, registering nearly 200 songs with BMI, including "Candy Man" and "Judy's Turn to Cry".
References
- ↑ Beverly Ross (13 January 2012), "Lollipop" story behind the song, retrieved 23 April 2012
- ↑ Ronald & Ruby at Allmusic
- ↑ Billboard Singles, Allmusic.com