david ruffin death
Oh, that sexy, gritty voice, those trademark glasses, and that stage charisma, easily sums up the one and only David Ruffin, and even that little crack in his voice was ok, well it wasn’t ok, but that was David Ruffin. [1]
Certainly one of the greatest Soul singers of all time, David Ruffin was an enigmatic man whose own internal struggles and contradictions led to a tumultuous career, both as the lead singer of the Temptations and subsequently as a solo singer. [2]
These times also proved to be turbulent for The Temptations. [3]
David Ruffin (January 18, 1941 ‘ June 1, 1991) was an American soul singer most famous for his work as one of the lead singers of The Temptations from 1964 to 1968 (or the group’s “Classic Five” period as it was later known). [4]
His relationship with the Temptations was a stormy one, but the marriage produced defining moments in 1960’s soul, and Ruffin’s departure from the group was the story of 1968. [5]
The bespectacled Ruffin initially sang backgrounds, while the role of lead singer generally alternated between Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams. [4]
After leaving Motown in 1977, Ruffin recorded for Warner Brothers and later for RCA accompanied by Eddie Kendricks. [6]
His gruff, impassioned lead vocals on dozens of songs including “My Girl,” “Beauty’s Only Skin Deep” and especially the electric “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” were unparalleled, and provided a gritty soulfulness over the slick Motown arrangements. [2]
Along with former group mate Eddie Kendricks and the current Temptations line up of Dennis Edwards, Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, Richard Street, and Glenn Leonard, seven Temptations would go on tour. [5]
David’s voice proved to be powerful as he went on to sing lead on hits that brought extreme joy and happiness in the turbulent times of the 1960s. [3]
All these songs were rooted in gospel where David first began, singing in The Ruffin Family and The Spiritual Trying Four with his father, his sister Rita Mae and older brothers Jimmy and Quincy. [5]
Few of the songs charted, and he blamed Motown for not properly promoting his music. [3]
In 1985, the pair would team up with friends Daryl Hall & John Oates for an album and live performance at The Apollo Theater in New York. [5]
Still under contract at Motown, his solo career got off to a promising start with the ballad “My Whole World Ended(The Moment You Left Me”). [3]
His was the lead voice on such famous songs as “My Girl ” and “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg “. [4]
Sources:
[1] David Ruffin Bio cont…
[2] David Ruffin Biography | SoulTracks - Soul Music Biographies, News and …
[3] David Ruffin (I) - Biography
[4] David Ruffin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[5] David Ruffin , Celebrity profile, bio, biography
[6] David Ruffin: Information from Answers.com