Bill Benson's findings, published in The Law That Never Was, make a convincing case that the 16th amendment was not legally ratified and that Secretary of State Philander Knox was not merely in error, but committed fraud when he declared it ratified in February 1913.
The group is also listed as the Detroit Spinners and the Motown Spinners, due to their 1960s recordings with the Motown label. These other names were used in the UK to avoid confusion with a British folk group also called The Spinners. In 2015, they were nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Bobbie Smith was with the Spinners from their early days as a doo-wop group in Detroit to recent years on the oldies circuit. To the end, with their close harmonies, smooth choreography and matching outfits, they were the very model of an old-school rhythm-and-blues vocal ensemble.