There aren't that many vocal groups still performing that can trace their beginnings back to the days of Soda Shop Doo Wop. A union of two vocal groups from the 1950s resulted in one of the most successful and enduring harmony bands in the entire history of R&B. In the late 50s, a Detroit group called 'The Distance' recorded a song that was co-written by producer Johnny May Matthews and a young singer and songwriter named Otis Williams. The song was called 'Come On,' and it was a minor hit in the Motor City area.
Otis Williams and bandmate Elbridge Bryant, along with bass singer Melvin Franklin, joined up with two members of another group called the Primes, Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams. This new group signed on with a young Detroit record label, a newcomer on the music scene called Motown. The group eventually called themselves The Temptations.
The Temptations' original lineup consisted of Otis Williams, Eddie Kendricks, Eldridge Bryant, who would later be replaced by David Ruffin, Paul Williams, the original lead singer and also not related to Otis, and bass singer Melvin Franklin.
The earliest Temptations records, which were gathered on the first album, 'Meet the Temptations,' reveal a young group struggling to find a sound that would blend their doo-wop and gospel roots with the new soul groove that was becoming the dominant style of 1960's R&B. Once David Ruffin was in the group, the hits started coming.
The Temptations still perform to this day. Founder Otis Williams is the only surviving member of the original group.
Otis was born October 30th, 1941, in Texarkana, Texas.
