Lesson plan
Ronald & Ruby
Ronald & Ruby were an American pop vocal duo, best known for their 1958 hit single, "Lollipop". The duo's members were Ronald Gumm, who was Black (or Gumps) and Beverly "Ruby" Ross who was white. Interracial pop groups were unusual at the time, and the group did not appear in public or in major press and television outlets. They had previously worked together as songwriters; among their credits are "Young and Hungry for Love", "Frankenstein Rock", "Fat Pat", "Soul Mates", "Don't Come to My Party", and "The Ghost of Love". In 1958, they released a single together entitled "Lollipop". It became a hit in the U.S., reaching No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was covered to greater chart success by both the Chordettes and the Mudlarks. They released several further singles, including "Love Birds", none of them hits. Ross continued as a songwriter, recording nearly 200 songs with BMI, including "Candy Man" (for Roy Orbison) and "Judy's Turn to Cry" (for Lesley Gore).
Article summary
Ronald & Ruby were an American pop vocal duo, best known for their 1958 hit single, "Lollipop". The duo's members were Ronald Gumm, who was Black (or Gumps) and Beverly "Ruby" Ross who was white. Interracial pop groups were unusual at the time, and the group did not appear in public or in major press and television outlets. They had previously worked together as songwriters; among their credits are "Young and Hungry for Love", "Frankenstein Rock", "Fat Pat", "Soul Mates", "Don't Come to My Party", and "The Ghost of Love". In 1958, they released a single together entitled "Lollipop". It became a hit in the U.S., reaching No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was covered to greater chart success by both the Chordettes and the Mudlarks. They released several further singles, including "Love Birds", none of them hits. Ross continued as a songwriter, recording nearly 200 songs with BMI, including "Candy Man" (for Roy Orbison) and "Judy's Turn to Cry" (for Lesley Gore).
Key claims
No claims recorded.
Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
No sources recorded.
Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.