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Temptations songs

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Obituaries : Melvin Franklin; Temptations’ Original Bass Vocalist

Melvin Franklin, the original bass singer of the perennially popular Temptations who anchored such hits as “The Way You Do the Things You Do” and “My Girl,” died Thursday. He was 52.

Franklin died of heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, a week after he was admitted following a series of seizures. His condition had been complicated by diabetes.

Born David English on Oct. 12, 1942, in Montgomery, Ala., Franklin fondly remembered getting kicked out of school for singing in the hallways.

He was a 15-year-old street singer in Detroit when he met Otis Williams. The two worked together in the Distants and the Primes, a group recruited by Detroit’s Motown Records founder Berry Gordy in 1960.

Two years later, the group became the Temptations, recording the debut song “Oh Mother, O Mine” on Miracle, a Motown subsidiary label.

The other original members of the quintet were Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams and Eldridge Bryant. Bryant was replaced one year later by David Ruffin.

Franklin and Otis Williams were the

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Melvin Franklin


"The Early Years"

His voice was gentle, yet powerful enough to make your chest rumble. A man whose size of heart matched his depth of pitch. Melvin was born David English, October 12, 1942 in Montgomery, Alabama. He took the surname Franklin from his stepfather, who was a minister and had Melvin singing in church choirs at only 3 years old. His nickname was "blue", because he liked anything blue. His career began at an early age when he received his first standing ovation for playing Scrooge in a Christmas play in his Detroit elementary school. By the time he entered McMichael Junior High, the 13 year old Franklin had signed a contract with Berry Gordy, even then he had a deep voice. He first distinguished himself professionally on "Need It", a 1959 song for The Voicemasters.

Melvin attended Northwestern High, where he would meet Otis Williams. Being from a somewhat sheltered background Melvin was innocent by Detroit standards. When Otis first approached him, Melvin ran away, thinking that Otis, with his processed hair, looked like a tough customer, intent

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The Temptations
1999 Inductees

Members:
Melvin Franklin: October 12, 1942 - February 23, 1995
Otis Williams: October 30, 1941
Paul Williams: July 2, 1939 - August 17, 1973
Eddie Kendricks: December 17, 1939 - October 5, 1992
David Ruffin: January 18, 1941 - June 1, 1991

The most successful soul group of the 1960's, the Temptations, is known for intense vocals, tight harmonies, and dynamic rhythms-- all choreographed into an unforgettable stage routine.

The original lineup, Melvin Franklin (Montgomery, Alabama), Otis Williams (Texas), Paul Williams (Birmingham, Alabama), Eddie Kendricks (Birmingham, Alabama), and David Ruffin, joined forces in Detroit after being involved with different music groups for several years. Originally signed to Motown, Berry Gordy Jr. put Smokey Robinson in charge as the Temptations producer in 1964 and the hits started.

Their first hit song "The Way You Do The Things You Do" was R&B chart #11 in April 1964. It was followed by "Why You Wanna Make Me Blue", #26 in October 1964 and "My Girl", #1 in March 1965, which introduced the Temptations

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