Post by tempfan on Sept 11, 2004 19:36:08 GMT -5
Otis Williams - Never Ending Story Part 1
Langfield Entertainment News
How many people can say that they are a living legend and continue to add to their legacy with each passing year? Otis Williams, the founder and manager of the Temptations, can brag of such a feat. “Berry Gordy saw the group at a record hop in Detroit and asked us to come join the record label he was starting and that is what we did. I knew Gordy before he started Motown. Berry was a noted songwriter around Detroit. He simply got tired of being gypped out of his royalties and money and decided to start his own label. He wrote some of Jackie Wilson’s earlier hits. He was actually a creative person that had to learn how to be a business person because Motown took off quick once it started rolling,” explained Williams. “We went over to Motown in 1961 and history was made. Prior to that, I was at a small record company called Northern Records. At that time the group was known as Otis Williams and The Distants. “We had a popular recording out called “Come On.” Before that, we were the Siberians. That group consisted of Elbridge Bryant, whom we called Al, James Crawford, or Pee Wee, Arthur Walton, and Vernard Plain our lead singer and of course myself. Arthur was replaced with Melvin Franklin and then Vernard quit and he was replaced with Richard Street," recalled the hit maker. “When we came over to Motown we became the Temptations. We were Motown’s first all male group. Motown had Smokey Robinson and the Miracles but they were a co-ed group because Claudette Robinson was part of the Miracles.” The Temptations have had a number of different members over the years. Ali-Ollie Woodson, Elbridge ("Al") Bryant (tenor), Melvin Franklin (bass), Eddie Kendricks (lead, high tenor), Otis Williams (baritone), Paul Williams (baritone, some leads). Bryant was replaced by David Ruffin (lead, tenor), in 1963. Ruffin was replaced by Dennis Edwards, in 1968. Other members included Glenn Leonard, Louis Price and Theo Peoples. Paul Williams came after Richard Street in 1971 but in 1973, Paul committed suicide. Throughout the early 1990’s Franklin, Kendricks, and Ruffin all died of unrelated causes. By 1998, the line-up was comprised of Terry Weeks, Barrington Scott Henderson, Otis Williams, Harry McGilberry Jr., and Ron Tyson. The current line-up consists of Otis Williams, Ron Tyson, Terry Weeks, G.C. Cameron and Joe Herndon. There was a period when the Temptations had a great run of hits. “Yes, the Temptations had a lot of hits but one of the better periods was when Paul Williams, Melvin Franklin, Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin were members. David joined the group in 1964. That was when the Temptations were the most memorable and unique,” says Otis. Smokey Robinson wrote several of the Temptation hits. He wrote: “The Way You Do the Things You Do,” “My Girl,” “Get Ready,” “Since I Lost My Baby,” and “I Wish It Would Rain,” etc. He was an artist, song-writer and producer. “He wrote for other artists as well, recalled Williams. “Smokey wrote for Mary Wells, the Supremes, the Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, the Marvelettes and of course the Miracles. You know we all grew up together. We worked with the Supremes who were known at one time as the Primetes” stated Otis. Producer Norman Whitfield also wrote several songs for the group including “Cloud Nine”; “I Can’t Get Next To You”; “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” and “Runaway Child.”
Langfield Entertainment News
How many people can say that they are a living legend and continue to add to their legacy with each passing year? Otis Williams, the founder and manager of the Temptations, can brag of such a feat. “Berry Gordy saw the group at a record hop in Detroit and asked us to come join the record label he was starting and that is what we did. I knew Gordy before he started Motown. Berry was a noted songwriter around Detroit. He simply got tired of being gypped out of his royalties and money and decided to start his own label. He wrote some of Jackie Wilson’s earlier hits. He was actually a creative person that had to learn how to be a business person because Motown took off quick once it started rolling,” explained Williams. “We went over to Motown in 1961 and history was made. Prior to that, I was at a small record company called Northern Records. At that time the group was known as Otis Williams and The Distants. “We had a popular recording out called “Come On.” Before that, we were the Siberians. That group consisted of Elbridge Bryant, whom we called Al, James Crawford, or Pee Wee, Arthur Walton, and Vernard Plain our lead singer and of course myself. Arthur was replaced with Melvin Franklin and then Vernard quit and he was replaced with Richard Street," recalled the hit maker. “When we came over to Motown we became the Temptations. We were Motown’s first all male group. Motown had Smokey Robinson and the Miracles but they were a co-ed group because Claudette Robinson was part of the Miracles.” The Temptations have had a number of different members over the years. Ali-Ollie Woodson, Elbridge ("Al") Bryant (tenor), Melvin Franklin (bass), Eddie Kendricks (lead, high tenor), Otis Williams (baritone), Paul Williams (baritone, some leads). Bryant was replaced by David Ruffin (lead, tenor), in 1963. Ruffin was replaced by Dennis Edwards, in 1968. Other members included Glenn Leonard, Louis Price and Theo Peoples. Paul Williams came after Richard Street in 1971 but in 1973, Paul committed suicide. Throughout the early 1990’s Franklin, Kendricks, and Ruffin all died of unrelated causes. By 1998, the line-up was comprised of Terry Weeks, Barrington Scott Henderson, Otis Williams, Harry McGilberry Jr., and Ron Tyson. The current line-up consists of Otis Williams, Ron Tyson, Terry Weeks, G.C. Cameron and Joe Herndon. There was a period when the Temptations had a great run of hits. “Yes, the Temptations had a lot of hits but one of the better periods was when Paul Williams, Melvin Franklin, Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin were members. David joined the group in 1964. That was when the Temptations were the most memorable and unique,” says Otis. Smokey Robinson wrote several of the Temptation hits. He wrote: “The Way You Do the Things You Do,” “My Girl,” “Get Ready,” “Since I Lost My Baby,” and “I Wish It Would Rain,” etc. He was an artist, song-writer and producer. “He wrote for other artists as well, recalled Williams. “Smokey wrote for Mary Wells, the Supremes, the Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, the Marvelettes and of course the Miracles. You know we all grew up together. We worked with the Supremes who were known at one time as the Primetes” stated Otis. Producer Norman Whitfield also wrote several songs for the group including “Cloud Nine”; “I Can’t Get Next To You”; “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” and “Runaway Child.”
