The Temptations: Biography from Answers.com Mobile

The Temptations

Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, Paul Williams, Edward James Kendricks, Elbridge Bryant, David Ruffin, Dennis Edwards, Richard Street, Ricky Owens, Dam

Personal Information

Born Otis Williams (original member) on October 30, 1949, in Texarkana, TX; born Melvin Franklin (original member) on October 12, 1942, in Montgomery, AL, died 1995; born Paul Williams (original member) on July 1, 1939, in Birmingham, AL, died on August 17, 1973, in Detroit, MI; born Edward James Kendricks (original member) on December 17, 1939, in Birmingham, AL, died on October 5, 1992; Elbridge Bryant (original member). Born David Ruffin (replaced Bryant, 1964) on January 18, 1941, in Wyanot, MS, died of a drug overdose on June 1, 1991; born Dennis Edwards (replaced Ruffin, 1968) on February 3, 1943, in Birmingham, AL; born Richard Street (replaced Paul Williams, 1971) on October 5, 1942, in Detroit, MI; Ricky Owens (replaced Kendricks, 1971); born Damon Otis Harris (replaced Owens, 1971) on July 3, 1950, in Baltimore, MD; Glenn Leonard; Ron Tyson; Louis Price; Ollie Woodson; Theo Peoples; Harry McGillberry; Terry Weeks; Barrington Henderson.

Career

Originally formed as the Elgins, Detroit, MI, 1961; name changed to The Temptations, 1961; albums include: Meet the Temptations, 1964; The Temptations Sing Smokey, 1965; Temptin' Temptations, 1965; The Temptations Greatest Hits, 1966; Temptations Live!, 1967, 1969; Temptations Greatest Hits, Volume II, 1970; All the Million-Sellers, 1981; The Temptations 25th Anniversary, 1986; To Be Continued, 1986; Together Again, 1987; Phoenix Rising, 1998; Ear-Resistable, 2000; Awesome, 2001.

Life's Work

First formed in 1961, The Temptations are one of the few surviving groups from the days when Motown ruled the airwaves. In forty years, the group has dealt with numerous changes in the group's lineup and the ever-changing tastes of popular music. Despite such changes, The Temptations have managed to maintain their style, sound, and popularity.

It was in 1961 that two members of the Primes, Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams, and three members of the Distants, Otis Williams, Elbridge Bryant, and Melvin Franklin decided to form a group. Although both the Primes and the Distants were popular in their local Detroit, neither group had produced a national hit. The quintet decided on the name, the Elgins. But the group soon learned that the name of a high-quality watch had already been adopted by another music group. Finally, the group decided to call themselves the Temptations. "You can see today that it was the perfect name," wrote Otis Williams in his book Temptations. "It was about style and elegance but also suggested romance and, frankly, sex." From their earliest days, Williams added, the group made a conscious effort to cultivate an image of sophistication. Williams wrote, "In our songs and in our moves, we were subtler and more romantic than some other guys, who were always grunting and sweating and carrying on."

Signed to Motown Records

The Temptations auditioned for Berry Gordy, and, impressed by their harmonizing, Gordy immediately offered them a contract on the spot. Now a fixture of Motown Records' roster, the group played at numerous Detroit clubs, earning an enthusiastic following. The also sang backup for many Motown stars, in addition to touring with the Motortown Revue. After none of the group's first seven singles produced a hit, Gordy briefly renamed the act the Pirates. Gordy had hoped the 1962 name change would change their luck, but the group was relieved their releases as the Pirates, "Mind Over Matter" and "I'll Love You Till I Die," also flopped. Williams explained in Temptations, "We'd have died for a hit, but if it meant going through life in pirate uniforms, no thanks!"

Elbridge Bryant left the group in 1964, due to personality conflicts, and he was replaced by David Ruffin, a Detroit singer who had enjoyed some solo success. Ruffin possessed an athletic stage presence, performing spins, cartwheels, and splits. The addition of Ruffin brought an exciting new dimension to the act. The Temptations then began working with Cholly Atkins, choreographer for Gladys Knight and the Pips, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, the Cadillacs, and other successful groups. Atkins developed many of the Temptations's trademark dance steps.

The group finally achieved national success with the 1964 single, "The Way You Do the Things You Do." Written and produced by Smokey Robinson, the song peaked at number 11 on the pop charts. Motown, capitalizing on this success, released Meet the Temptations that same year. The album included "The Way You Do the Things You Do," and its B side, "Just Let Me Know," along with all of the group's previously unsuccessful singles.

Scored First Number One

The following year, the Temptations had their first number-one hit, "My Girl." Also that year, the group worked with producer Norman Whitfield, and the end result was one of their most popular songs. "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" marked the start of a long and successful collaboration. "Norman Whitfield could and did produce soft, smooth ballads with the best of them but, stylistically speaking, he was headed into another realm," wrote Otis Williams in Temptations. "His backing tracks crackled with more intricate percussion, wailing, almost rock-style guitars, and arrangements that featured us as five distinct singers instead of one lead singer fronting a homogenized doo-wop chorus....[He] took us in new directions without losing the heart of our sound."

The Temptations remained one of the most popular acts in America for several years. They played the hottest nightclubs and appeared on numerous television shows, including The Ed Sullivan Show. The group also joined with the Supremes for a series of recordings and television appearances that broadened both groups' appeal. A special four- headed microphone was designed specifically for them, allowing members enough distance from each other so that, even when executing complicated moves, they were in no danger of stepping on each other.

Success, however, brought its own set of problems. Some members proved unable to handle their wealth and fame. Ego clashes often flared within the group, and the late 1960s and early 1970s saw several changes in the group's roster. David Ruffin left to pursue a solo career in 1968 and was replaced by Dennis Edwards. Edwards's career with the group was fitful; he was asked to leave in 1974 and replaced by Louis Price, but returned briefly in 1979, only to be turned out in favor of Ollie Woodson. Edwards returned to the group a third time in 1986. In 1970 Eddie Kendricks decided to go solo, and he was replaced by Ricky Owens of the Vibrations. Owens was almost immediately dismissed in favor of Damon Harris, who stayed with the group until 1974. Harris was then replaced by Glenn Leonard, who was, in turn, replaced by Ron Tyson in 1982. Paul Williams, with his worsening alcoholism and related health problems, was asked to leave the group in 1971; his spot was filled by Richard Street. Williams committed suicide two years later.

Pioneered Psychedelic Soul

At the same time that the group was undergoing these rapid roster changes, the Temptations and producer Whitfield still managed to pioneer the "psychedelic soul" movement. Characterized by an electric funk sound and socially conscious lyrics, this new musical trend yielded several big hits for the Temptations, including "Cloud Nine," "Ball of Confusion," and "Papa Was a Rolling Stone." Whitfield persisted with the movement long after psychedelic soul had run its course, and the once-creative relationship between the Temptations and their producer became stagnant. Otis Williams reported in Temptations that Whitfield began minimizing the singers' contributions: "On some tracks our singing seemed to function as ornamentation for Norman's instrumental excursions. When we started reading articles where writers referred to us as 'the Norman Whitfield Choral Singers," we really got mad."

Fans of the group were disappointed as well, and record sales fell dramatically. The Temptations sought more artistic control, but Berry Gordy was deaf to their requests. Frustrated, the group severed its ties with Motown in 1976.

It was now the age of disco, and many Motown acts faded away. A two-year contract with Atlantic failed to help the Temptations out of their slump. In 1979 they renegotiated a return to Motown. Shortly thereafter, the classic Motown sound came back into vogue and the Temptations were once again in demand. Ruffin and Kendricks briefly rejoined the group for a tour, but personality conflicts soon resurfaced, and the Temptations quickly returned to a five-man lineup. After their appearance on the Motown 25 television special, they teamed with the Four Tops for a "T 'n T Tour" that ran worldwide for nearly three years.

The early 1990s saw the deaths of several Temptations. On June 1, 1991 David Ruffin, who had left the group in 1968, died of a drug overdose. Ruffin's ex-wife, Sandra, told People Weekly, "The only downfall he had was the drugs. He was really trying, but after 24 years with the drugs, he just couldn't conquer it" The following year, Eddie Kendricks, one of the group's original members, died of lung cancer. Another original member, Melvin Franklin, died in 1995. Franklin had left the group in 1994, due to failing health. After suffering a series of brain seizures in February of 1995, Franklin was hospitalized, dying of heart failure a month later. Otis Williams was now the only living, original member of the Temptations.

This decade also saw further changes in the Temptations's roster. Ali Woodson, a member since 1983, left the group to pursue a solo career. Theo Peoples joined the group in the early 1990s. Temptation Ron Tyson had seen Peoples perform at a St. Louis jazz club, and invited Peoples to audition. Peoples told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the new members of the group try to sound as much like the original members as possible, maintaining a consistent Temptations sound. "But maybe we also interject a little of ourselves," he added.

Filed Lawsuit Against Former Member

When former member Dennis Edwards began performing under such names as Dennis Edwards & the New Temptations or Dennis Edwards & the Temptations Review, Williams, along with Franklin's estate, filed suit against Edwards, claiming trademark infringement. Edwards told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch "I need a piece of the name in order to make people remember me." In 1999 a federal judge issued a permanent injunction preventing Edwards from performing under any variation of the group's name.

In 1998 the Temptations released Phoenix Rising. Like the mythological figure of the phoenix, Williams told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "We've always been able to rise out of the ashes. That's what The Temptations have always been about." In the fall of 1999, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Phoenix Rising was the group's first album to ever be officially certified platinum. "This is tremendously gratifying after so many years," Williams told Billboard.

Also in 1998, the story of the Temptations came to life on the small screen when NBC aired a two-part miniseries. Based on Williams's book, Temptations, the miniseries was also coproduced by Williams. "Everywhere I would go from Hollywood to Europe, people would ask me when we were going to do a show like this," Williams told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

In November of 2001 the Temptations released Awesome. The group's lineup now included Williams, Tyson, Harry McGillberry, Terry Weeks, and Barrington Henderson. There have been a total of 19 members over the years. "I always compare the Temptations to a great sports franchise," Williams told the Seattle Post- Intelligencer. "Great players will come and go but the team endures. We are a team that has endured against tremendous odds and we will continue to endure. The Temptations are forever."

Awards

Grammy Award, Best R&B Performance by a Group, for "Cloud Nine," 1969, for "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," 1972; Grammy, Best R&B song and Best R&B instrumental performance, for "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," 1972; American Music Award, Best Vocal Group, 1974.

Works

Selected discography

Albums
Meet the Temptations, 1964
The Temptations Sing Smokey, 1965.
Temptin' Temptations, 1965.
The Temptations Greatest Hits, 1966.
Temptations Live!, 1967, 1969.
Temptations Greatest Hits, Volume II, 1970.
All the Million-Sellers, 1981.
The Temptations 25th Anniversary, 1986.
To Be Continued, 1986.
Together Again, 1987.
Phoenix Rising, 1998.
Ear-Resistable, 2000.
Awesome, 2001.
Albums with Diana Ross and the Supremes
Diana Ross and the Supremes Join the Temptations, 1968.
TCB, 1968.
Together, 1969.
On Broadway, 1969.