to love “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted”, a big hit for Jimmy Ruffin in 1966. William Weatherspoon and Paul Riser wrote the music and James Dean delivered simple and moving lyrics. Weatherspoon and Dean were a well-known and prolific Motown writing and production team during the Berry Gordy era.
But if you don’t like R&B, I highly recommend finding the cover by Joan Osborne, a rising star with eclectic music and lifestyle tastes. She was featured in an award-winning 2002 documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown where she, backed by the legendary Funk Brothers, delivered a stand-up performance of this memorable song. Her live studio performance was spectacular-I’m telling you, that white girl has soul!
