David Ruffin, an American soul singer, rose to fame as the lead singer of the Temptations. Synopsis David Ruffin was born in Mississippi in 1941. He began writing songs as a teenager. Before signing with Motown Records, Ruffin sang at Memphis talent shows. He then joined the Temptations. The Temptations were successful with songs like “My Girl” or “Ain’t Too Proud to Be” as Ruffin was at the helm. Ruffin’s use of drugs caused the band to collapse and fired him. Ruffin was a solo artist who had some success but died from a cocaine overdose just two years after being inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Early Years David Ruffin was conceived in Whynot, Mississippi on January 18, 1941. His mother died in childbirth and he was raised to adulthood by his Baptist minister father. He left his home at 13 to become a minister, but soon found himself singing in Memphis talent show. As a teenager, he began writing songs and soon moved to a singing career with the Dixie Nightingales (a local gospel group). Ruffin was a member of several gospel groups, including the Womack Brothers and the Staple Singers. He was a showman on stage and attracted attention from secular-music professionals as well as gospel fans. The Move to Detroit brings success Ruffin, who was 17 years old, was briefly signed by Chicago’s Chess Records. He then moved to Detroit where he met Berry Gordy (the founder of Motown Records). Although he recorded an album with Voice Masters, he was not signed to a Motown subsidiary. Ruffin would get his big break in 1963 when he was selected to replace Eldridge Bryant in the Temptations’ tenor voice. After being in the background for the first half of 1965, Ruffin was chosen to take the lead vocal on hits like “My Girl”, “I Wish it Would Rain” or “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg”. The band was a success, with Ruffin appearing on American Bandstand as well as The Ed Sullivan Show. They also became stars on the international music scene. Jimmy, his brother signed with Motown Records and released the hit single “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted.” Ruffin became the new frontman of the group and began to attract a lot of attention. However, his unpredictable behavior, which was often attributed to cocaine abuse, began to be noticed. He demanded privileges that were not available to other members of the group, and wanted the group’s title changed to David Ruffin u0026 the Temptations (as was done with Diana Ross u0026 the Supremes), and was fired by the band in June 1968. Solo Career and an Early death Ruffin was still under Motown Records’ contract when he quit the Temptations. He began a solo career and had some success with “My Whole World Ended” (the Moment You Leave Me) in 1969. Ruffin’s success was short-lived. He left the music industry after three years and emerged in 1973 with “Walk Away From Love”, a number one single, and some minor hits. After leaving Motown in 1979, Ruffin joined Warner Bros. but it was not a new beginning. Ruffin was briefly held for tax evasion in the early 1980s. He also joined the 1983 reunion tour of The Temptations. Ruffin was unable to attend the first three shows because his partying ways were back with a vengeance. Despite this, Ruffin was able to make an appearance at a prestigious concert at New York’s Apollo Theater with his longtime friends Hall and Oates. Ruffin and Kendricks were also present at the Live Aid concert, Philadelphia. With five other Temptations, Ruffin was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. Two years later, David Ruffin, 50, would succumb to a drug overdose in a Philadelphia crackhouse. He was found unconscious in a Philadelphia crack house and taken to a hospital. There he succumbed to a drug overdose. From www.biography.com
