Post by tempfan on Mar 27, 2004 23:43:47 GMT -5
The Irresistible Temptations
By Scott Iwasaki Deseret Morning News
Otis Williams is the last surviving original member of the Temptations. His closest cohort and Temptation co-founder, Melvin Franklin, passed away in 1995.
But that hasn't stopped Williams from continuing to bring the legendary group's music to fans.
"It has been a sometimes rocky road," Williams said during a telephone interview from Portland, Ore. "But we're doing it for the people. There are some who have been with us from the beginning, and there are others who have found us in the last few years."
The Temptations' beginning was in 1961, when the group signed on with Motown Records as the Elgins. "For more than 40 years, we have been making music, albeit we've had changes in the personnel," said Williams. "But we've accomplished a lot throughout the career. It hasn't been easy, but it's been worth it." With a load of No. 1 hits in the late '60s and throughout the '70s, the Temptations brought the Motown sound to America. Such hits as "My Girl," "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," "Just My Imagination" and "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" are some of the group's trademarks.
"I grew up in the South," said Williams, who was born in Texarkana, Texas. "The music I heard there was gospel, and the soul of Sam Cook and Mahalia Jackson. I moved to Detroit just when rock 'n' roll was a hill-rise in the music industry. That's when I heard Bill Haley & the Comets and Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers. I also heard the Cadillacs and Nat King Cole.
"I had no idea the Temptations would become what we are when we signed in 1961. I look around 43 years later and know that we had an interesting and joyous ride.
"Sure it's been rough, but life is rough. The only difference is, the Temptations were in the spotlight more than the general public. And our struggles were in the public's eye."
Lawsuits, suicides and intragroup disagreements have been a part of the Temptations from the get-go, said Williams. "But I made the decision to ride this horse until I fall off, and when I do, that horse best be bald."
Regardless of the challenges, the Temptations -- whose present lineup features Williams, G.C. Cameron, Ron Tyson, Terry Weeks and Joe Herndon -- have risen to yet another peak in its career.
In 1989, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1998, the Temptations were the subject of an NBC miniseries based on Williams' biography.
The album, "Ear-Resistible" won a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Vocal in 2001, bringing the Temptations career Grammy count to four, and the group is getting ready to release its 60th CD.
"There's a lot on our plate," said Williams. "And we do a lot. But we do it smartly. We don't party like we did when we were young. You will find no drinking and drugs with us.
"We want to play the best show we can each night. That's why we try to rest as much as possible. It's not fair for the fans if we're not performing our best."
By Scott Iwasaki Deseret Morning News
Otis Williams is the last surviving original member of the Temptations. His closest cohort and Temptation co-founder, Melvin Franklin, passed away in 1995.
But that hasn't stopped Williams from continuing to bring the legendary group's music to fans.
"It has been a sometimes rocky road," Williams said during a telephone interview from Portland, Ore. "But we're doing it for the people. There are some who have been with us from the beginning, and there are others who have found us in the last few years."
The Temptations' beginning was in 1961, when the group signed on with Motown Records as the Elgins. "For more than 40 years, we have been making music, albeit we've had changes in the personnel," said Williams. "But we've accomplished a lot throughout the career. It hasn't been easy, but it's been worth it." With a load of No. 1 hits in the late '60s and throughout the '70s, the Temptations brought the Motown sound to America. Such hits as "My Girl," "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," "Just My Imagination" and "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" are some of the group's trademarks.
"I grew up in the South," said Williams, who was born in Texarkana, Texas. "The music I heard there was gospel, and the soul of Sam Cook and Mahalia Jackson. I moved to Detroit just when rock 'n' roll was a hill-rise in the music industry. That's when I heard Bill Haley & the Comets and Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers. I also heard the Cadillacs and Nat King Cole.
"I had no idea the Temptations would become what we are when we signed in 1961. I look around 43 years later and know that we had an interesting and joyous ride.
"Sure it's been rough, but life is rough. The only difference is, the Temptations were in the spotlight more than the general public. And our struggles were in the public's eye."
Lawsuits, suicides and intragroup disagreements have been a part of the Temptations from the get-go, said Williams. "But I made the decision to ride this horse until I fall off, and when I do, that horse best be bald."
Regardless of the challenges, the Temptations -- whose present lineup features Williams, G.C. Cameron, Ron Tyson, Terry Weeks and Joe Herndon -- have risen to yet another peak in its career.
In 1989, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1998, the Temptations were the subject of an NBC miniseries based on Williams' biography.
The album, "Ear-Resistible" won a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Vocal in 2001, bringing the Temptations career Grammy count to four, and the group is getting ready to release its 60th CD.
"There's a lot on our plate," said Williams. "And we do a lot. But we do it smartly. We don't party like we did when we were young. You will find no drinking and drugs with us.
"We want to play the best show we can each night. That's why we try to rest as much as possible. It's not fair for the fans if we're not performing our best."
