He first achieved success as the lead singer of Garnet Mimms & The Enchanters and is best known for the 1963 hit "Cry Baby", later recorded by Janis Joplin.
According to Steve Huey at AllMusic, his "pleading, gospel-derived intensity made him one of the earliest true soul singers [and] his legacy remains criminally underappreciated."
Born in Ashland, West Virginia, United States,[1] Mimms grew up in Philadelphia, where he sang in church choirs and in gospel groups such as the Evening Stars and the Harmonizing Four.
[4] The group followed it up with "For Your Precious Love," a cover of Jerry Butler and the Impressions' original, which hit the Billboard Top 30 later that year, as did the flip side, "Baby Don't You Weep.
"Quiet Place" was also adapted with enduring appeal by many Reggae artists, including John Holt,The Paragons, Horace Andy, Doctor Alimantado and Dennis Brown.
[6] In 1964, Mimms left the Enchanters for a solo career;[1] with Sam Bell as lead vocalist, the group went on to have a minor hit with "I Wanna Thank You".
[7][8] Mimms continued to record for United Artists, and had several minor R&B hits over the next two years, including "One Girl" and a cover of the Jarmels' "A Little Bit of Soap."
[9] He moved to the UA subsidiary label Veep in 1966, releasing several singles including "My Baby",[1] later recorded by Janis Joplin and made the live setlist of the last edition of the Yardbirds and early Led Zeppelin, and the following year toured in the UK with Jimi Hendrix.