Scruggs, Ronnie

Ronnie Scruggs was one of the key figures linking Englewood’s rich musical tradition to the rise of New Jack Swing. Born in 1947, Scruggs first gained recognition as a member of the soul-rock group the Deltas, which won the famed Apollo Amateur Night competition in 1970, just three years after the Jackson Five achieved the same feat. The group later won a state vocal championship at the Garden State Arts Center and headlined community events in Englewood, helping establish the city as an important center for Black music and performance. Throughout the 1970s, Scruggs remained active in the music scene, building a reputation as one of Englewood’s most talented and respected vocalists. In 1980, Scruggs joined fellow Englewood musicians in Sunrize, a backing band associated with the Isley Brothers that included future Surface member David Townsend, drummer Koko Jones, and bassist Tony Herbert. Scruggs’s influence continued to grow, and in 1984 he helped create the R&B group the Gents, a talented ensemble of Englewood performers whose sound reflected the emerging style that would become known as New Jack Swing. Through his work with the Deltas, Sunrize, and the Gents, Scruggs served as an important bridge between the Isley Brothers’ musical circle and the next generation of artists who helped shape one of the most influential movements in contemporary R&B.