Disco Inferno's Jimmy Ellis Dead, Recording Academy Releases Statement

Trammps singer Jimmy Ellis, known for dance anthem Disco Inferno on the Saturday Night Fever album, died Thursday in South Carolina at age 74. 

The Recording Academy has issued a statement regarding Ellis' death. The company's CEO/President, Neil Portnow, writes, "As the lead vocalist for the Trammps, GRAMMY®-winning soul singer Jimmy Ellis became a part of music history when the title track from the group’s album Disco Inferno was used in the iconic dance segment, and soundtrack, of the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever. His love of performing and the band’s signature funk style extended over several decades as he continued to tour until 2010. Our deepest sympathies go out to his family, friends, and all who have been moved, literally, by his energy and dance floor anthems."