Treasured Memories Of Seeing The Classic Five Line-Up Perform....

David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams, Melvin Franklin, and Otis Williams...

Shared By Edy

The first time I saw (((David))) ....was at the Fox Theater, Christmas of 1964, when the Tempts came on stage to perform "The Way You Do The Things You Do" and "I Want A Love I Can See"....and THEN took us all OVER THE EDGE as they introduced "My Girl" to the world. Anyone who's lucky enough to own a copy of "Lost & Found" can hear, unquestionably, what an incredible high it was for EVERYONE in the place. Never ever has there been a sweeter or more heavenly love song - nor anyone to PERFORM more eye-poppingly that The Tempts! We were UP ON the seats, cheering, screaming, singing, wailing and begging for more! They performed 2 or 3 times a day for that entire Christmas week, and I got back there every chance that I got...and floated out about 6 inches above the ground each and every time! That 'skinny little man' with the glasses and "The Voice" was the talk of the town, and from then on, it only got BETTER!

During the summer of 66, I had the incredible good fortune to get to see the Tempts perform 17 shows in a row - 2 or 3 a day - and ever moment of every show was mesmerizing. But MOST mesmerizing of all was (((David))). In the balzing hot summer sun, singing his heart out show after show and hell-bent, I am telling you, on OUT-DOING HIMSELF with each new show! And he never let us down. Each show WAS BETTER than the one before, and somewhow he found a new way to drive us wild with each and every song. There never was, never will be a performer to match or even come CLOSE to the style, grace and showmanship embodied in one David Eli Ruffin. He kept us spellbound and enchanted, show after show, begging, screaming and dying for more. And to this day and thins moment, that feeling has never once begun to subside. I f I could see him even one more time, I'd be there a month early waiting in line patiently as a steet urchin, to be right there in the front row once again. THAT'S the magic. One can never get enough of our (((DaddyRuff)))!

(Heehee...that shoulda been "BLAZING" hot sun...but 'balzing' is good too....") From the moment the music began, our hearts started thumping. Picture this, if you will...the backup musicians were none other than Cornelius Grant leading Earl Van Dyke and the Soul Brothers. THE best background music you could ever imagine...it was like having the Detroit Symphony Orchestra there...only better! And the Tempts would come RUNNING out on stage and never, ever stop moving even once for the next 45 minutes or so. It was AMAZING! The way the sun was beating down on them, they had to have been hotter than we were, but they never slowed down. Eddie would always start out the sets, and then it was a constant changing of leads between Eddie, Paul and David. There was such a smooth, circular flow between them you couldn't help but be hypnotized

There was nothing like it on earth. The smoothe and flawless 'changing of leads' is where David invented and perfected the infamous 'throwing the mike in the air' technique. As Eddie would finish singing (and you KNOW we were going nuts for Eddie!) Eddie would toss the mike in the air to David as if to say "beat THAT, suckah" (I'm guessing...) and David would catch it and go right into his next song without ever missing a beat. As each show went on, the mike went higher and higher, and David became more and more dramatic. There was something in him, and lucky for us there was, that MADE him compete with HIMSELF, not even just Eddie and Paul and the pitiful 'other acts' (heehee). It had to be bigger, better and more mind-boggeling -- and it was!! By the time the week was almost over, that mike was travelling 30 feet in the air or more, and David not only never MISSED IT, he took it to a whole new level and would catch it, drop down on one knee and sing to the lucky ladies in the front row. The knee splits were THE most incredible things, weren't they! There aren't even words in my vocabulary to describe the things he did. We were so busy wailing and screaming and swooning and pulling on one another that there was no time to think or move or breathe. We were IN AWE.

It was all ANY of us could do to keep from fainting! I'm telling you, it was heaven. And NOT just the heart-stopping theatrics...these brothers could MOVE, oh-so-divinely ~ the term "Poetry In Motion" is no mere understatement. "The VOICE" is what had us all in the palm of his hands...the phrasing, the range, the EMOTION he put into each and every song. And could we talk for just a moment about "The SUITS"!! Seventeen shows, seventeen different suits. EVERY color your could imagine - tangerine (my all time fave!), lime green, dark green, gold, brown, beige, white, black, burgundy, purple...you name it! And this was still in a time when men's suits were ultra conservative. NOBODY wore colors like The Tempts...they were the style setters of the day. Everyone wanted to look like, dress like and dance like the Tempts, but they were in a league of their own! And always will be