Eddie Kendrick: Temptations and Beyond

Eddie Kendrick is famous not just as one of the Temptations but equally as a solo recording artist.

One of the artists responsible for the hey days of Motown, Eddie will always be remembered for his sweet tenor voice, high falsettos and sense of style.

Born in December 1939 Eddie grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. He formed his first group there with Paul Williams and Kell Osborne. Playing on street corners, the group was influenced by the sounds of doo-wop bands like Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers and Billy Ward and the Dominoes.

Eventually, the boys moved to Detroit where they started calling themselves the Primes. With their elegant dressing, slick choreography and sophisticated harmonies they stood out from other deep wop bands.

A few years later however the Primes broke up. Around this time, the Distants, a quintet that the group had been friends with also lost two of its members. The remaining members of the two bands thus decided to get together to form the Elgins. This group became the Temptations when they signed to Motown in 1961.

Consisting of Kendricks, Paul Williams, Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, and Elbridge Bryant, the Temptations did not find immediate success. It was only in 1964 when David Ruffin replaced Bryant that the group’s destiny changed. The Temptations went on to become a huge success and a gleaming feather in the Motown cap. Apart form his superb vocals, Eddie was also arranged the group’s harmonies and used his refined sense of fashion to create the group’s onstage outfits.

In 1971, at the height of The Temptations’ popularity, Eddie decided to go solo. His last hit with the group was the No. 1, Just My Imagination. Eddie departed the group amicably with the other members testifying their support on the back cover of his first album, All By Myself.

Eddie soon developed his own signature sound, helped by songwriters/producers Frank Wilson and Leonard Caston. The first album gave him the chance to explore his vocal range and showcase his strong natural tenor. The others that followed highlighted his affinity for love songs and helped him explore different genres like disco and funk. Albums like People…Hold On, Eddie Kendricks, Boogie Down were all well received.

Most of Eddie’s albums were recorded by Motown. Notable exceptions were Something More with Arista in 1979 and Love Keys for Atlantic in 1981.

The seventies proved to be a productive period in Eddie’s career. His hits during this time included Shoeshine Boy (1974), Skippin’ Work Today (1975),Get the Cream Off the Top and Happy (1975). By the late seventies Eddie’s religious bent was being reflected in albums like He’s A Friend (1976) and Goin’Up In Smoke, which had strong spiritual tones.

The eighties saw Eddie’s popularity wane. He spent much of this decade doing benefits, clubs and nostalgia shows. In 1982 he joined the Temptations on a reunion tour. He also set up his own record label Msdixie Records, which however did not survive very long.

In 1986, Eddie teamed up with former band-mate David Ruffin to tour and later record an album called Ruffin and Kendrick (1987). The duo was part of Live Aid and the anti-apartheid video and record, Sun City. They were inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the other Temptations in 1989. At that time they teamed up with Dennis Edwards to tour and record as a trio, their most notable track being Get It While Its Hot.

In 1991 the trio produced a video wit Street Gold Productions, now considered a treasure for their fans.

Eddie passed away in 1992, suffering from lung cancer. He was only 52.

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