Dennis Edwards is an American soul and R&B singer, notably a lead singer in The
Temptations, on Motown Records. Edwards joined the Temptations in 1968,
replacing David Ruffin and sang with the group from 1968 to 1976, 1980 to 1984
and 1987 to 1989. In the mid-1980s, he attempted a solo career, scoring a hit
in 1984 with "Don't Look Any Further". Today he is the lead singer of The
Temptations Review featuring Dennis Edwards, a Temptations splinter group.
Early years and career Edwards was born in Fairfield, Alabama,
about eight miles from Birmingham, to Reverend and Mrs. Dennis Edwards Sr., He
began singing as a toddler, just two years old, in his fathers' church. The
Edwards family moved to Detroit, Michigan when Edwards was about ten
years old, and Edwards would continue to sing in the church pastored by his
father, eventually becoming choir director.
As a teenager, Edwards joined a gospel vocal group called The Mighty Clouds of
Joy, and studied music at the Detroit Conservatory of Music. He was disallowed
from singing or listening to secular music at home, and his mother did not
approve when he began pursuit of a career singing rhythm and blues music.
In 1961 he organized his own soul/jazz group, Dennis Edwards and the Fireballs.
In 1961, Edwards recorded a single for the obscure Detroit label, International
Soulville Records, "I Didn't Have to" b/w "Johnnie on the Spot".
Following time served in the US military, in 1966 Edwards auditioned for
Detroit's Motown Records, where he was signed but placed on retainer. Later
that year, he was assigned to join The Contours after their lead singer fell
ill. In 1967, the Contours were the opening act for several Temptations
concerts, and Temptations members Eddie Kendricks and Otis Williams - who were
considering replacing their own lead singer, David Ruffin, took notice of
Edwards and made his acquaintance. = The Temptations years=
Later in 1967, Edwards quit the Contours and was placed back on retainer. He
attempted to get a release from his contract, as Holland-Dozier-Holland had
promised to sign him to their new Invictus Records, but was drafted in
late June 1968 to join the Temptations, who had just fired Ruffin from the act.
Ruffin had tipped Edwards off that he was being drafted as his replacement,
which eased Edwards' conscience in replacing him. The Temptations
officially introduced Edwards on July 9, 1968 on stage in Valley Forge,
Pennsylvania. However, Ruffin, who was attempting to make his way back into the
group, crashed the stage during Edwards' lead vocal on "Ain't Too Proud to Beg"
to significant applause. He continued similar stunts for about a month until,
according to Edwards, the group decided to lay-off Edwards - with the promise of
a solo deal from Motown - and rehire Ruffin. When Ruffin failed to show for
his return engagement in Gaithersburg, Maryland the next night, Edwards was
permanently kept on and the Temptations refused to entertain rehiring Ruffin any
further. Edwards was the first singer to join the
Temptations after their "Classic 5" period. With his rougher gospel-hewn
vocals, Edwards led the group through its psychedelic, funk, and disco
periods, singing on hits such as "Cloud Nine", "I Can't Get Next to You", "Ball
of Confusion", "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", and "Shakey Ground", among
others. Two of these songs, "Cloud Nine" and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", won
Grammy Awards. During this time, Edwards was engaged to
Yvonne "Frankie" Gearing, the lead singer of Quiet Elegance, and The
Temptations toured with them as their backing group.
Edwards remained in the Temptations until being fired by Otis Williams in
1977 just before the group's departure from Motown to Atlantic Records. After a
failed attempt at a Motown solo career, Edwards rejoined the Temptations in
1980, when they returned to Motown. In 1982, Edwards got the chance to sing
with Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks as part of Reunion album and tour. Edwards began
missing shows and rehearsals, and was replaced in 1984 by Ali-Ollie Woodson.
In 1989, Edwards was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member
of The Temptations. = Solo artist=
Motown re-launched Edwards' solo career, in 1984 with the hit single "Don't Look
Any Further," a duet with Siedah Garrett. The album of the same name
reached No. 2 on the R&B charts and included the radio singles "(You're My)
Aphrodisiac" and "Just Like You." The 1985 follow-up album Coolin' Out
included the title track, an R&B Top 30 hit; and "Try A Little Tenderness." When
problems arose between Woodson and the Temptations in 1987, Edwards was brought
back once again, but was himself replaced by Woodson in 1989 after being
fired a third and final time by Williams.
= Ruffin, Kendricks, and Edwards= Edwards toured and recorded with fellow
ex-Temptations Ruffin and Kendricks during the late 1980s as 'RuffinEdwards,
former leads of The Temptations', although nothing was released. The 1998
"Street Gold" DVD "Original Leads Of The Temptations" documents this historic
period. After the deaths of Ruffin and Kendricks, Edwards was forced to wrap up
the project alone. In 1990 Dennis teamed up with Eddie Kendricks to release a
dance/club track for A&B records entitled "Get it While it's Hot". The
track was recorded at Fredrick Knight's recording studio in the duo's old home
town of Birmingham, Alabama and produced and engineered by house music pioneer
Alan Steward. The track created a lot of controversy as it contained a short rap
sequence which did not sit very well with die hard Temptations fans. Edwards'
Don't Look Any Further the Remix Album was released in 1998 containing updated
dance mixes and the original 1984 track. = The Temptations Review featuring
Dennis Edwards= During the 1990s, Edwards began touring
under the name 'Dennis Edwards & the Temptations', prompting a legal battle
between himself and Otis Williams. It was decided that Edwards' group would be
called The Temptations Review featuring Dennis Edwards. Edwards' current group
includes Paul Williams Jr., David Sea, Mike Patillo, and Chris Arnold.
Edwards was portrayed by Charles Ley in the 1998 biographical television
mini-series The Temptations, though he was not heavily focused upon, as the
mini-series gave more attention to the Ruffin/Kendricks-era Temptations line
up. Personal life
Dennis Edwards was briefly married to Ruth Pointer, whom he wed in Las Vegas
in 1977. The couple has one daughter, Issa Pointer, who later became a member
of her mother's vocal group, The Pointer Sisters.
References