Soul singer Russell Thompkins Jr. is well-known. His birthday is March 21, 1951, and Pennsylvania is where he was born. Russell is also well known as a former lead singer for the musical group The Stylistics and an American soul singer.
Including “You Make Me Feel Brand New,” “Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart),” “Betcha by Golly, Wow,” “Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart”),” and “Break Up to Make Up,” The Stylistics had five top 10 pop songs and twelve top ten R&B hits in a row from 1971 to 1974.
All of these songs (and everything the group ever recorded) were led by Thompkins, except “You’re a Big Girl Now,” which was written and composed by Thom Bell and lyricist Linda Creed (1974’s “You Make Me Feel Brand New,” a No. 2 pop hit, was also sung lead by group member Airrion Love).
The group’s commercial performance in the United States suffered greatly after Thom Bell left the group in 1974. The Stylistics did, however, record a single in 1975 called “Hey, Girl, Come and Get It” which was a financial success as an early disco track.
The Stylistics’ general commercial fall became more evident after 1976, and throughout the following two decades, they only occasionally made the R&B charts. But as its popularity in the United States started to decline, it rose throughout Europe, particularly in the United Kingdom.
With “Can’t Give You Anything (But My Love),” the band achieved a UK No. 1 in 1975 thanks to the lighter “pop” sound created by Van McCoy and Hugo & Luigi.
What happened to Russell Thompkins Jr?
Russell Thompkins Jr. & The New Stylistics are still playing and traveling in the United States and abroad as of 2022. He is still performing today.
