The Temptations

The Temptations were a talented and big group at Motown. They sound  soulful and religious singing blues. Otis Williams was the leader of the group that brought them all together. He had a tenor voice. There was Eddie Kendricks. He had a high pitched voice. There was Paul Williams with a baritone. Melvin Franklin had a deep bass voice, and David Ruffin had a raspy sounding voice. The Temptations were the biggest and baddest (best) singing group at Motown. When they sung their hit, “ My Girl”, you could hear how they blend wonderful. My favorite part is when Eddie goes “My girl”, then Paul going higher behind him, and David goes even higher after Paul. They made “My Girl” a beautiful song.


There was a movie made about the Temptations in 1988. According to the movie, there was anger in the group. The guys could not get along. David Ruffin was always late, and they voted him out of the group. Fans loved the Temptations, and fans really loved David Ruffin. The guy that played as David name was Leon Robinson. Leon looked like David’s twin. I didn’t know David in real life, but if I didn’t know Leon was Leon, I would have thought he was David. Not only Leon, but all of the characters did wonderfully and made you think you were watching the original Motown.

After David left the group, he went solo and made hits. Then Eddie Kendricks left the group too, and he went solo. Then the Temptations had a reunion tour. After that, according to the movie, David Ruffin died a tragic death, and Eddie Kendricks died of lung cancer. The Temptations were a great singing group at Motown that will always be remembered.

Florence Ballard (The Strong Voice of the Supremes)

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Article by: Gail Nobles

Primettes to Supremes
We know that there is Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, and Cindy Birdsong which are known as the Supremes. The Supremes began as a quartet called the Primettes. Then it was Diana, Mary, Florence Ballard, and Betty McGlown. It is said that in 1960, Barbara Martin replace McGlown. They were the sister act to the Primes later known as the Temptations. The Primettes later became known as the Supremes. Florence Ballard was replaced in 1967 with Cindy Birdsong. This is when Barry Gordy renamed the group Diana Ross and the Supremes. It is said that the reason Barry chose Diana to be lead singer because it would help the group cross over to white audiences. **Well, that’s what Barry wanted, but he should have also paid attention to the strong voice of Florence Ballard. Sometimes a strong voice is needed for messages in certain songs to reach people from all walks of life. Anyway, Diana left the group and was replaced with Jean Terrell. It was 1970 that Diana left the group for a solo career.

Florence Ballard
Florence Ballard had a very strong voice. What happened to her? It is said that Florence had a drinking problem. She was sometimes too drunk to appear on stage. That’s when Cindy Birdsong became permanent in the group.

When I was small, my mother introduced the music of the Supremes to me, and she often told me that there was a Supreme that had a better and stronger voice as a lead singer. Now, I know that it was Florence. I never heard her sing. My mother told me that Florence had some problems.

Solo Career
It is said that Florence did have a solo career. She had two singles. “It Doesn’t Matter How I Say It (It’s What I Say That Matters),” and “Love Ain’t Love” on ABC records. Her singles failed to chart, but she kept on trying. In 1971, Ballard unsuccessfully sued Motown for payments she believed were owed to her. **Somehow, I feel deep down inside that Motown owed her some money too. A lot of cheating was done in the music business and cheating is still going on. People were not getting paid what they should have gotten paid in those days.  If any wrong was done to Florence, pay up time will come. We have to pay before we leave this world because of the wrong we do or it’s possible to pay in hell if we don’t repent.


Career Ends
Florence  had children and her husband left her. Her career ended and her house was seized by foreclosure. Things were rough for Florence. **It is said that Diana Ross heard about the foreclosure and offered her help to save the house, but legal issues made it not to happen. I have heard a lot of negative things about Diana Ross, but this news from the past was the best that I have heard. Nobody can judge a person’s heart, although, we all have faults.

Florence Death  
In 1976, Ballard died of a blood clot in one of her coronary arteries. She was thirty- two years old. Florence had a great singing voice, and it’s a sad that things happened the way that they did. **Maybe she was meant to sing in Church for the Lord. I hope that’s what she is doing now. What Florence has done on earth is nothing compared to what she could be doing in heaven now. There’s no more cheating, hurt, pain, sickness, and heart breaking. Hopefully Florence is with the one above that gave her the voice where she can sing all she want to happily. Her life can be perfect and right, and she can do what’s right in heaven. Florence can drink the pure wine and not get drunk. If she can see the Supremes now, I’m sure she wants them to do what is right. She would want them to put the past behind them and be close as sisters so that they could all some day be together.