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The Primes
The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top 10 hit single " Cloud Nine" in October 1968, pioneered psychedelic soul, and was significant in the evolution of R&B and soul music. The band members are known for their choreography, distinct harmonies, and dress style. Having sold tens of millions of albums, the Temptations are among the most successful groups in popular music. Featuring five male vocalists and dancers (save for brief periods with fewer or more members), the group formed in 1960 in Detroit under the name ''the Elgins''. The founding members came from two rival Detroit vocal groups: Otis Williams, Elbridge "Al" Bryant, and Melvin Franklin of Otis Williams & the Distants, and Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams of the Primes. In 1964, Bryant was replaced by David Ruffin, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Ruffin
David Eli Ruffin (born Davis Eli Ruffin;Ribowsky, p. 88 January 18, 1941 – June 1, 1991) was an American soul singer and musician most famous for his work as one of the lead singers of the Temptations (1964–68) during the group's "Classic Five" period as it was later known. He was the lead voice on such famous songs as " My Girl" and "Ain't Too Proud to Beg." Known for his unique raspy and anguished tenor vocals, Ruffin was ranked as one of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2008. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 for his work with the Temptations. Fellow Motown recording artist Marvin Gaye once said admiringly of Ruffin that, "I heard n his voicea strength my own voice lacked." Early life Ruffin was born Davis Eli Ruffin on January 18, 1941, in the rural unincorporated community of Whynot, Mississippi, 15 miles from Meridian, Mississippi. He was the third born son of Elias "Eli" Ruffin, a Baptist minister, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Four Tops
The Four Tops are an American vocal quartet from Detroit who helped to define the city's Motown sound of the 1960s. The group's repertoire has included soul music, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, doo-wop, jazz, and show tunes. Founded as the Four Aims, lead singer Levi Stubbs, Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton remained together for over four decades, performing from 1953 until 1997 without a change in personnel. The Four Tops were among a number of groups, including the Miracles, the Marvelettes, Martha and the Vandellas, the Temptations, and the Supremes, who established the Motown Sound heard around the world during the 1960s. They were notable for having Stubbs, a baritone, as their lead singer, whereas most other male and mixed vocal groups of the time were fronted by tenors. The group was the main male vocal group for the highly successful songwriting and production team of Holland–Dozier–Holland, who crafted a stream of hit sin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Theo Peoples
Theo Peoples (born Theoplis Peoples, III on January 24, 1961 in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American R&B and soul singer. Biography His first recordings with the Temptations were released in the box set ''Emperors of Soul'' (1994) where he sang lead on "Givin' U The Best", "Elevator Eyes" and "Blueprint For Love". A music producer, Richard Perry, worked with the Temptations to make the album '' For Lovers Only'' (1995) and included the song " Night and Day", on which Peoples sang lead vocals. The track was later featured in the film ''What Women Want'' (2000). After Ali-Ollie Woodson left the Temptations in 1996 due to his battle with throat cancer, Peoples assumed the role of lead second tenor/baritone for the group. Although he was replaced by Barrington "Bo" Henderson Barrington Scott "Bo" Henderson (born June 10, 1956, in Washington, Pennsylvania) is an American R&B singer. Biography Barrington's mother, Joyce St. Amie, was an electric jazz singer. Barrington grew u ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ali-Ollie Woodson
Ali-Ollie Woodson (born Ollie Creggett; September 12, 1951 – May 30, 2010) was an American R&B singer, musician, songwriter, keyboardist, drummer, and occasional actor best known for his twelve years with the Temptations alongside Otis Williams. He also worked with Aretha Franklin, Jean Carn, and Bill Pinkney. Early life and career Woodson was born September 12, 1951 in Detroit, Michigan, and was raised in Town Creek, Alabama. Woodson was best known as the lead singer of Motown act the Temptations from 1984 to 1986, and from 1988 to 1996. He had first recorded with the Temptations in 1983 on their ''Back to Basics'' album, when he was invited to perform lead vocals on the album track, "Stop the World Right Here (I Wanna Get Off)", The Temptations- ''Back to Basics'' @Allmusic.com Retrieved August 28, 2010. filling in for Dennis Edwards Dennis Edwards Jr. (February 3, 1943 – February 1, 2018) was an American soul and R&B singer who was best known as the frontman in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Louis Price
Louis Bernhardt Price (born March 29, 1953) is an American R&B, soul singer, and actor notable for being the lead singer of the first post-Dennis Edwards led version of The Temptations from 1977 to 1980. Price lived in Chicago as a child and attended John Marshall High School. Price moved to Los Angeles and sang in various groups before being asked to replace Edwards after Temptations leader Otis Williams fired Edwards. Price joined the group just as they were leaving their longtime label Motown for Atlantic Records. Price was the principal lead vocalist on "Hear to Tempt You" and one of the featured lead vocalists on "Bare Back". He then joined The Drifters and remained with them through the first half of the 1980s, while also doing occasional studio singing with groups like Heatwave on their album, ''Current''. In the late 1980s, Price signed with Motown and recorded his self-titled debut album, ''Louis Price'', which was released in 1991. He has appeared in the film '' Whi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Glenn Leonard
Glenn Carl Leonard (born June 11, 1947 in Washington, D.C.) is an American R&B and soul singer best remembered for serving as the first tenor/secondary lead singer of the Motown quintet The Temptations from 1975 to 1983, and for the last 15 years has toured with his Glenn Leonard's Temptations Revue. Biography Leonard recorded with the groups the Chancellors, Instant Groove and True Reflection before he was asked to replace ousted Temptations member Damon Harris (who'd replaced Ricky Owens). Leonard joined the group in 1975, just before they recorded the hit ''Shaky Ground''. Leonard's most notable Temptations leads were on the 1980 single ''Power'', and on the Christmas classic ''Silent Night'' from their 1980 Christmas album. He was replaced by Ron Tyson in 1983. Leonard is a native of Washington D.C., second oldest of 8 children born 1947 to Gennie and Pearlie Leonard, natives of North Carolina. As a child, he was raised between Washington and North Carolina. He started s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Damon Harris
Otis Robert "Damon" Harris Jr. (July 17, 1950 – February 18, 2013) was an American soul and R&B singer, most notable as a member of The Temptations from 1971 to 1975. Twenty years old when he joined the group, Harris was the youngest member of The Temptations during his tenure in the group. As a teenager Harris had formed a Temptations tribute band named ''The Young Tempts'' (a.k.a. ''The Young Vandals''). The group had charted singles released on T-Neck Records, and later had a few minor hits under the name ''Impact''. He also was instrumental in his former singing group partner, Billy Griffin, getting the opportunity to replace Smokey Robinson in The Miracles. Harris later founded, and became the CEO of, ''The Damon Harris Cancer Foundation'' dedicated to promoting the awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of prostate cancer. Biography The Young Tempts/The Young Vandals As a teenager growing up in Baltimore, Maryland, Otis Harris Jr. was a major Temptations fan, and idoli ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Richard Street
Richard Allen Street (October 5, 1942 – February 27, 2013) was an American soul and R&B singer, most notable as a member of Motown vocal group The Temptations from 1971 to 1993. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Street was the first member of the Temptations to actually be a native of the city which served as Motown's namesake and hometown; all of the previous members were born and at least partially raised in the southern United States. Career Otis Williams and the Distants Street was the lead singer of an early Temptations predecessor, ''Otis Williams & the Distants'', and takes the spotlight on their local hit "Come On". The Distants also included future Temptations Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin (who referred to Street as his cousin), and Elbridge "Al" Bryant, who left The Distants and their record deal with Johnnie Mae Matthews' Northern Records to form ''The Elgins'' (later ''The Temptations'') with Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams. After their departure, Mat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ricky Owens
The Vibrations were an American soul vocal group from Los Angeles, California, active from the mid-1950s to 1976. Most notable among the group's hit singles were " My Girl Sloopy" (1964) and "Love in Them There Hills" (1968). The quintet's members included Don Bradley, Carl Fisher, Dave Govan, James Johnson and Ricky Owens. History The group initially began recording as The Jay Hawks, and had a hit in 1956 with "Stranded in the Jungle" (US No. 18). After a few lineup changes, the group had another hit with the song "The Watusi" in 1961 (US No. 25); concurrently, they had a hit under the name The Marathons with "Peanut Butter", a rewritten version of the Olympics' " Hully Gully" with new lyrics by Hidle Brown Barnum and Martin Cooper (No. 20). The group recorded a couple of Northern soul classics since their initial hit on Atlantic Records in 1963. A cover version of their song "My Girl Sloopy", retitled " Hang On Sloopy", was a hit for the McCoys in 1965. Their 1968 track " ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paul Williams (The Temptations Singer)
Paul Williams (July 2, 1939 – August 17, 1973) was an American baritone singer and choreographer. Williams was noted for being one of the founding members and original lead singer of the Motown group The Temptations. Along with Elbridge "Al" Bryant, Otis Williams, and fellow Alabamians Eddie Kendricks and Melvin Franklin, Williams was a member of The Temptations. Personal problems and failing health forced Williams to retire in 1971. He was found dead two years later as the result of an apparent suicide. Early years Paul Williams was born and raised in the Ensley neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama. He was the son of Sophia and Rufus Williams, a gospel singer in a gospel music vocal group called the Ensley Jubilee Singers. He met Eddie Kendricks in elementary school; supposedly, the two first encountered each other in a fistfight after Williams dumped a bucket of mop water on Kendricks. Both boys shared a love of singing, and sang in their church choir together. As teena ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tony Grant (singer)
Az Yet is an American R&B group from Philadelphia, best known for their songs " Last Night" and the cover " Hard to Say I'm Sorry" originally performed by Chicago. Formation Formed in 1989 initially as a duo with Shawn Rivera and Dion Allen, the two were later joined by Kenny Terry, whom they met singing in the lobby of the Wyndham Hotel in Philadelphia, Ali Hyman, Claude Thomas, Damon Core, & Dyshon Benson. Debut album Az Yet released their self-titled debut album in 1996 on LaFace Records. The album featured a "who's who" of musical heavyweights, including David Foster, Babyface, Sheila E., and Brian McKnight. The first single, " Last Night", reached #9 on the US Hot 100, #1 on the R&B chart, peaked at #2 on Australia's ARIA charts, and spent 2 weeks at #1 in New Zealand's RIANZ charts, ultimately achieving platinum status in the US. The group's second single, " Hard to Say I'm Sorry" (a cover of the Chicago hit), was nominated for a Grammy award (Best R&B Performance by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Terry Weeks
Terry Wayne Weeks (born December 23, 1963) is an American R&B and soul singer who is currently one of the lead singers of the legendary Motown quintet The Temptations.http://www.thetemptations.com/ Temptations Official Website Early life Weeks was born in Birmingham, Alabama. Serving in the Air Force, including involvement with Tops In Blue for eight years. Upon his retirement in the early-1990s, Weeks began singing locally around his home base in Alabama. After giving an impromptu audition to Temptations member Otis Williams, he was placed in a Williams/Motown side project, ''For Lovers Only''. Following that group's only release, he was a fill-in for the Temptations, taking the place of Temptations lead Ali-Ollie Woodson, who was battling throat cancer. He would replace Woodson permanently in 1997, joining the Temptations lineup that included Williams, Ron Tyson, Theo Peoples and Harry McGilberry Harry McGilberry (January 19, 1950 – April 3, 2006) was an American R&B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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