Motown music is perhaps the greatest export from the city of Detroit we’ve ever seen. Sure, we love the Mustangs and GTOs, but it was the music that put the Motor City on the map, as much as it was their automotive contributions. Let’s take a look at one of the stars from the Motown era in what we call our Motown minute.
David Ruffin, Melvin Franklin, Paul and Otis Williams, and Eddie Kendricks made up the Temptations, and they are not your typical Motown story. Eddie, Paul, and a singer by the name of Kell Osborne grew up together in Birmingham, Alabama and sang in the church choir.
When the Doo-Wop group broke up, the three moved to Detroit and called themselves the Primes. They would eventually evolve into the Temptations, with “The Way You Do the Things You Do” as their first big hit, while “My Girl” was their first number one song. The Temptations was the first Motown act to win a Grammy and was inducted into the Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. The only living original member is Otis Williams, who continues to tour today.