James Ellis, whose booming “burn the down” vocals powered the Trammps’ smash hit Disco Inferno,died Thursday in Rock Hill, S.C. He was 74. According to the Rock Hill Herald, Ellis had been suffering from Alzheimer’s prior to his death, and the Associated Press reported that he passed away at a nursing home.
The Trammps had enjoyed minor success prior to Disco Inferno, which was released in 1976 but didn’t generate much action on the charts until it was added to the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack in 1977.
The rest is history: The Saturday Night Fever soundtrack stayed at No. 1 on the album charts for 24 consecutive weeks in 1978, and Disco Inferno reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Ellis and the Trammps never had another hit as big as Disco Inferno, but they kept on touring up through 2008 before Ellis’ health worsened, according to the Rock Hill Herald.
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