Biography

Call 1.800.966.1380 to contact The Temptations booking agent, publicist, manager, pr firm, representative and management company for booking The Temptations speaker appearances, autograph signing, endorsement deals or hiring The Temptations as a keynote speaker for your next event. Find The Temptations official website information, speaker fees, booking fees, costs and schedule. The Temptations are an American vocal group that achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.

Formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1960 as The Elgins, the Temptations have always featured at least five African American male vocalists/dancers. The group, known for its recognizable choreography, distinct harmonies, and onstage suits, has been said to be as influential to soul as the Beatles are to rock.[1] Having sold an estimated 22 million albums by 1982,[2] The Temptations are one of the most successful groups in music history[3] and were the definitive male vocal group of the 1960s.[4] In addition, they have the second-longest tenure on Motown (behind Stevie Wonder), as they were with the label for a total of 40 years: 16 years from 1961 to 1977, and 24 more from 1980 to 2004 (from 1977 to 1980, they were signed to Atlantic Records). As of 2007[update], the Temptations continue to perform and record for Universal Records with the one living original member, founder Otis Williams, still in its lineup.

The original group included members of two local Detroit vocal groups: The Distants, which featured second tenor/baritone Otis Williams, first tenor Elbridge "Al" Bryant and bass Melvin Franklin; and first tenor/falsetto Eddie Kendricks and second tenor/baritone Paul Williams (no relation to Otis) from The Primes. Among the most notable future Temptations were lead singers David Ruffin and Dennis Edwards (both of whom became successful Motown solo artists after leaving the group), Richard Street (another former Distant), Damon Harris, Ron Tyson, Ali-Ollie Woodson, Theo Peoples, and G.C. Cameron. Like its sister female group, the Supremes, the Temptations' lineup has changed frequently over the years.

Over the course of their career, the Temptations have released four Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles and 14 Billboard R&B number-one singles. Their material has earned them three Grammy Awards, while two more awards were conferred upon the songwriters and producers who crafted their 1972 hit "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone".

The Temptations, with their tailored suits and detailed choreography, set the bar for male soul and R&B groups. Before the Temptations became popular, most black vocal groups were rough, high-energy acts with rawer vocals and more improvisational dance movements. Only a few performers, including contemporaries Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, and the Four Tops, showed the refined style that would be popularized by the Temptations.

Berry Gordy insisted his acts be equally appealing to white and black audiences, and employed a creative team to help tailor Motown talent for crossover success. Paul Williams and Motown choreographer Cholly Atkins created the Temptation's trademark precise and energetic, yet refined, dance steps. The most famous of these, the "Temptation Walk", or "Temptation Strut", was adapted from similar moves by the Flamingoes and the Vibrations. From those two sources, Paul Williams crafted the group's signature dance routine.

Motown, like other independent companies, was not a member of ASCAP or BMI, preferring to stay independent and handling their own widely varied distribution through thousands of "Mom & Pop" record stores and small radio stations. Many singles that might have been charted higher did not have the data for the Billboard charts to evaluate, so it is quite possible that the Temptations probably sold more than a "Gold Record" number of most of their early records. Their stage work and lead singer depth made them legends throughout the northern cities and the southern "chitlin' circuit", and were acknowledged by most radio disc jockeys as the strongest group around.

During the 1960s and 1970s, a number of soul groups showed significant influence from the Temptations, among them the Delfonics, the Chi-Lites, George Clinton's original Parliaments, the Dramatics, and Motown labelmates the Jackson Five and The Undisputed Truth. These acts, and others, showed the influence of the Temptations in both their vocal performances and their onstage choreography. Several more recent soul and R&B vocal groups, including the Johnny Gill-led version of New Edition, Jodeci, BLACKstreet, Dru Hill, and, most notably, 1990s Motown act Boyz II Men, also showed significant influence from the Temptations. It is interesting to note that during the early part of their career, their main competition came from Curtis Mayfield's Impressions, then during the phase where they alternated leads, the Chi-Lites, and in their next phase, the O'Jays. In each case, each group alternated between love songs and songs with messages in their lyrics.

Temptations songs have been covered by scores of musicians, from R&B singers such as Luther Vandross ("Since I Lost My Baby"), to pop vocalists such as Bette Midler ("Just My Imagination"), to rock bands such as Rare Earth ("Get Ready"), Love and rockets, Duran Duran ("Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today") and the Rolling Stones ("My Girl", "Ain't Too Proud to Beg", "Just My Imagination" ) and Mick Jagger's collaboration with reggae artist Peter Tosh on ("Don't Look Back"). In 1991, British singer Rod Stewart collaborated with the Temptations on the single "The Motown Song".

The lives and careers of The Temptations were one of several inspirations for Robert Townsend's 1991 film about a 1960s Motown-esque male group, The Five Heartbeats.

In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked The Temptations #67 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

PFP Sports & Celebrity Talent PFP is a speakers bureau and booking agency providing The Temptations speaker, personal appearance and endorsement information. Booking The Temptations for appearances, as a motivational speaker, keynote speaker, for a fundraising event, grand opening, television or radio commercial, PR campaign or trade show is easy through our agency. For more info, contact The Temptations through PFP Sports & Celebrity Talent at 1.800.966.1380.