The Temptations

Motown’s slickest act, The Temptations, formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1961. The group was a resulting merger of two other local vocalist groups, the Primes (Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams, and Kell Osborne) and the Distants (Otis Williams, Elbridge Bryant, and Melvin Franklin). Initially known as "The Elgins" before changing their name to The Temptations, the band had no sooner begun releasing singles in 1963 when an altercation occurred, and Bryant attacked Paul Williams and subsequently left the group. They then replaced Bryant with tenor, David Ruffin and teamed up with Smokey Robinson in the studio to create the first in what would be thirty seven top ten hits, “The Way You Do the Things You Do.”

In the late 60s, The Temptations saw another change to its members when Ruffin failed to appear at a 1968 concert and was consequently replaced by Dennis Edwards from The Countours. By the end of the decade, the group’s lyrics had become overtly political, as reflected in their hit, “Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today).”

In 1971, Kendricks left the group to pursue a solo singing career, and was soon after followed by Paul Williams, who was discovered dead from a self-inflected gunshot wound on August 17, 1973. The group then recruited Damon Harris and Richard Street; and continued to release hits into the 70s such as “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” which was later covered by George Michael.

By the mid-70s, Harris had also left the group, and was replaced by tenor Glenn Leonard. In 1976, the group released their final record for Motown, The Temptations Do the Temptations. The group then switched to the Atlantic records label, where they made a brief foray into disco.

By the early 80s, the revolving door of new and old group members continued; however the group remained a popular attraction on their Tribute to the Temptations tour. Tragically, Ruffin died on June 1, 1991, after overdosing on cocaine at the age of fifty, followed one year later by Kendricks who died of lung cancer at fifty-two; and in 1995, Franklin suffered a fatal brain seizure at fifty-two.

By 1998, The Temptations were still going, and released their next album, Phoenix Rising; followed by Ear-Resistable in 2000. The group, which has seen the coming and going of twenty-one separate members, defined the original Motown sound of catchy hooks and harmonies, paving the way for such acts as The Jackson 5 in the 70s, New Edition in the 80s, and even the boy-bands from the 90s to the present day.

YUDDY