Post by dcalz on Feb 17, 2004 11:03:40 GMT -5
This article ran on 2/13/04 in the Daily Herald
www.dailyherald.com/search/main_story.asp?intID=3803089
Ex-Temptation to headline Valentine's Day show
By Deborah L. Kunesh Daily Herald Correspondent
Posted 2/13/04
It's not that Valentine's Day isn't special to Richard Street. But the former Temptations lead singer - who will perform on the special day in St. Charles - is grateful for every day at this point in his life.
"Valentine's Day is a special day. I mean especially for husband and wife, girlfriend, fiancée or whatever, and the love for your children, but it's always just special to wake up each and every day. Now every day to me is special," said Street, who was lead singer of the Temptations from 1971 to 1994.
"Every day is special to me because some of my friends can't wake up anymore and they cannot share in this wonderfulness of going up in front of people and performing and make people happy and bring back memories because they're no longer here. So, Valentine's Day is not just another day, but it's a special day for me every day that I wake up."
Street and his group will perform - with the help of members of Junior Walker's All-Stars - at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles. Walker will open, then be the backing band for Street.
Top Temptations songs include "Just My Imagination," "Cloud Nine," "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," and "My Girl." Walker's best-known songs include "I'm a Road Runner" and "Shotgun."
Street, who just returned from a tour in England, has battled illnesses recently, including a blood clot in a lung and hip replacement.
Street is especially looking forward to performing in the Chicago area again.
"The Chicago area has always been one of my favorite places to perform over the last 35 years," Street said. "When I was in The Temptations, we always had success singing in Chicago."
Street succeeded lead singers David Ruffin and Paul Williams and was with the group when it was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. Street performed with original Temptations members before they hit it big as well.
A lot of struggle and sacrifice went into the building blocks that would become The Temptations. There was hard work, determination and a lot of struggling from Street and the other guys in the group, as well as sacrifices made by their families.
"To make it big as one of the world's greatest groups just didn't happen," Street said. "It was a combination of being in the right place at the right time, and having a road map already to Berry Gordy, before Motown was built. We were one of the best groups in the city of Detroit before Motown came along."
With Street's return to the group in 1971, now known as The Temptations, came a musical shift of sorts where controversial and economic subjects were covered, such as the Vietnam War and urban poverty, with continued success.
"Songs like "Ball of Confusion" could come out today and still be a hit because the same thing is going on now that went on back in the '60s," he said. "These songs were always ahead of their times and some event was always happening to somebody when these songs were coming out."
Street still hears from people who tell him about how songs affected their lives.
"You love to hear that because you want to reach people who are troubled and are in pain and you come out with a song that turns them around and now they've got their lives together," Street said. "Now that's a beautiful story."
www.dailyherald.com/search/main_story.asp?intID=3803089
Ex-Temptation to headline Valentine's Day show
By Deborah L. Kunesh Daily Herald Correspondent
Posted 2/13/04
It's not that Valentine's Day isn't special to Richard Street. But the former Temptations lead singer - who will perform on the special day in St. Charles - is grateful for every day at this point in his life.
"Valentine's Day is a special day. I mean especially for husband and wife, girlfriend, fiancée or whatever, and the love for your children, but it's always just special to wake up each and every day. Now every day to me is special," said Street, who was lead singer of the Temptations from 1971 to 1994.
"Every day is special to me because some of my friends can't wake up anymore and they cannot share in this wonderfulness of going up in front of people and performing and make people happy and bring back memories because they're no longer here. So, Valentine's Day is not just another day, but it's a special day for me every day that I wake up."
Street and his group will perform - with the help of members of Junior Walker's All-Stars - at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles. Walker will open, then be the backing band for Street.
Top Temptations songs include "Just My Imagination," "Cloud Nine," "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," and "My Girl." Walker's best-known songs include "I'm a Road Runner" and "Shotgun."
Street, who just returned from a tour in England, has battled illnesses recently, including a blood clot in a lung and hip replacement.
Street is especially looking forward to performing in the Chicago area again.
"The Chicago area has always been one of my favorite places to perform over the last 35 years," Street said. "When I was in The Temptations, we always had success singing in Chicago."
Street succeeded lead singers David Ruffin and Paul Williams and was with the group when it was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. Street performed with original Temptations members before they hit it big as well.
A lot of struggle and sacrifice went into the building blocks that would become The Temptations. There was hard work, determination and a lot of struggling from Street and the other guys in the group, as well as sacrifices made by their families.
"To make it big as one of the world's greatest groups just didn't happen," Street said. "It was a combination of being in the right place at the right time, and having a road map already to Berry Gordy, before Motown was built. We were one of the best groups in the city of Detroit before Motown came along."
With Street's return to the group in 1971, now known as The Temptations, came a musical shift of sorts where controversial and economic subjects were covered, such as the Vietnam War and urban poverty, with continued success.
"Songs like "Ball of Confusion" could come out today and still be a hit because the same thing is going on now that went on back in the '60s," he said. "These songs were always ahead of their times and some event was always happening to somebody when these songs were coming out."
Street still hears from people who tell him about how songs affected their lives.
"You love to hear that because you want to reach people who are troubled and are in pain and you come out with a song that turns them around and now they've got their lives together," Street said. "Now that's a beautiful story."
