Superstar Dennis Edwards, formerly of the Temptations, died on
February 2, 2018, one day prior to his 75th birthday. He had
been suffering from an undisclosed illness.
Dennis began singing in his father’s
church choir in Fairfield, AL at the age of 2. The family moved to Detroit, MI
when Dennis was 10, and he eventually became choir director. As a teen, he
joined the Mighty Clouds of Joy, and his family discouraged him from listening
to and singing secular music. Nevertheless, in 1966, he was signed to Motown
and joined The Contours. In 1968, he replaced his friend David Ruffin in The
Temptations. He was on and off a part of the group through the 1980s.
Edwards sang lead on such
Temptations classics as “Cloud Nine” (1968) and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone”
(1969), both of which won Grammy Awards. Edwards’s solo career included the
1984 hit “Don’t Look Any Further.” After his final departure from The
Temptations, he toured with Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin, and he ultimately
joined a Temptations Review, performing old Temptations hits.
As a member of The Temptations, Edwards
was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. Edwards is definitely
a big part of our beloved musical history.
Dennis Edwards [02/03/1943 –
02/02/2018]
© 02/02/2018