Nike Free David Ruffin – Motown's Rebellious, Tra

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Ruffin ended up on the road as a singer/drummer [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], touring with the Soul Stirrers and the Dixie Nightingales. Following the path blazed by Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson, he left gospel for a career in popular music at age 17.
Ruffin initially backed up front men Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks. Smokey Robinson, lead vocalist for the Miracles and one of Motown’s most prolific writers, took note of Ruffin’s anguished, raw delivery and decided to write a song that would suit his singing style. Released in December 1964, “My Girl” became The Temptations first #1 record, thrusting Ruffin into the spotlight.
The son of a Baptist minister [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], Davis Eli Ruffin was born on January 18, 1941 in Whynot, Mississippi. As a boy, he was part of his family’s traveling gospel group that included his older brother Jimmy (later known for “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted”). At 14 he traveled to Memphis intent on studying to become a minister.
Otis Williams, the leader of the group, was reticent at hiring Ruffin (despite a vote of confidence from Ruffin’s distant cousin, group member Melvin Franklin). He felt Ruffin wasn’t a team player and would use the group to promote a solo career.
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Gone Too Soon
With the bespeckled, rail-thin Ruffin at center stage dropping to his knees and pleading to the women in the audience, The Temptations became R & B’s biggest act, scoring a dozen hits over the next three years, including: “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” (#13) “Beauty is Only Skin Deep”(#3) and “(I Know) I’m Losing You “ (# Cool

in 1966; “All I Need,” (# Cool

and “I Wish it Would Rain” (#4) in 1967 and “I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You”) (#13) in 1968.
Success With The Temptations
Ruffin joined The Temptations in 1964, replacing hot-tempered tenor Elbridge Bryant. Bryant had smashed a beer bottle over singer Paul Williams head; he later got into another fight during a holiday performance and was fired.
Ruffin released his first the single, “You and I/ Believe Me” on VEGA Records in 1958. Moving to Anna Records in 1961 (owned by Motown President Berry Gordy’s sister [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], Gwen Fuqua), he recorded “One of These Days/I’m In Love” backed by the Voice Masters, a group that included future Motown writer Lamont Dozier.