The singer who shot to fame with What Becomes of the Brokenhearted passed away in a hospital in Las Vegas, confirmed his children, Philicia Ruffin and Jimmy Lee Ruffin Jr.
Leading the tributes, the late singer's daughter Philicia said her father was, "a rare type of man who left his mark on the music industry."
Soon after the news surfaced, tributes started pouring in on Twitter on Wednesday (19 November).
