The Spinners to Perform at QCC's Performing Arts Center on May 5

Queens residents with a mighty love for classic soul music will want to drop by Queensborough Community College’s performing arts center on May 5 to hear The Spinners sing their hits.  

The group, which was formed in Detroit in 1954, has 12 gold records and is currently on tour, performing their songs “I’ll Be Around,” “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love?” and “It’s a Shame.”  

Henry Fambrough, who is the only original remaining member of the group, said The Spinners’ shows draw fans across several generations.  

“We have fans who have been following us for years and now they are bringing their grandkids,” Fambrough said. “One lady told me, ‘I want my grandkids to hear good music, not just that mess we've got now.’”  

Fambrough said he does not have a favorite song to perform, but that audiences often call out requests.  

“We’ve been blessed with so many great songs that our audiences love,” he said. “When we’re on stage and we’re introducing each other in the middle of the show, someone often yells out ‘Rubberband Man.’”  

The group will play a set of 10 to 12 songs at the Queensborough show, which begins at 3 p.m.  

Fambrough said former lead singer Bobbie Smith, who died on March 21, came up with the name for the group, which was originally known as The Domingoes.  

“Bobbie came up with the Spinners because he loved cars and became a collector,” Fambrough said. “At that time, the Cadillac had a pretty hubcap called a spinner. So, the name stuck.”  

The group, which includes Queens native Jessie Peck, is currently searching for a replacement for Smith.  

“When Bobbie passed, people all over the country started submitting names,” Fambrough said. “I’m beginning to get some names together, but I have a lot of materials and people that I have to go through before I settle on someone to take his place. Bobbie had a beautiful voice.”  

Additionally, The Spinners have begun to write some songs that would be the first new material to be recorded in years.  

“Some of our members are songwriters, so we’re in the process of putting together a CD of music that hasn’t been released,” Fambrough said.
 
Queensborough’s performing arts center is located at 222-05 56th Ave. in Oakland Gardens.  

For more information, call 718-631-6311. To purchase tickets, visit the center’s website.