Singer James T. “Jimmy” Ellis, known for the 1970s dance anthem “Disco Inferno” for the Trammps, died on Thursday in South Carolina at the age of 74. The disco anthem was included in the Grammy winning soundtrack of “Saturday Night Fever” in 1978. The soundtrack is second to “The Bodyguard” as the best-selling album of all time with 15 million in sales.
The Trammps was a Philadelphia based disco band that began in 1972. The song with the refrain “Burn, baby burn!” reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 27, 1978. Despite the group’s success with the iconic movie, Ellis and the band couldn’t translate their talent to mainstream appeal, scoring only 3 R&B Top 10 hits from 1972 to 1978. The group’s biography on allmusic.com says, “But the Trammps’ prowess can’t be measured by chart popularity. Ellis’ booming, joyous vocals brilliantly championed the celebratory fervor and atmosphere that made disco both loved and hated among music fans.” The memorial service of Ellis will be held on March 16 at the Central Church of God in Charlotte, North Carolina.
