The Detroit native who became the voice of Motown's most iconic group
In short: Before he was a Temptation, Richard Street was a local fixture in the Detroit music scene. He holds a unique distinction: he was the first member of the legendary group to actually be born and raised in the city that gave Motown its name.
Richard Allen Street's journey with Motown began long before his official induction into The Temptations in 1971. In the 1950s, he was a lead singer for Otis and The Distants, a group featuring future Temptations members like Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin. Even after those members left to form The Elgins (later renamed The Temptations), Street remained a central figure in the local scene, briefly leading a new version of The Distants in the early 1960s.
Street's path to stardom was paved with internal Motown roles and various acts. He worked in quality control for the label and performed with The Monitors, who secured a minor hit in 1966. By the late 1960s, Street was already an essential 'behind-the-scenes' asset for The Temptations; he frequently traveled with them to provide off-stage vocals for Paul Williams, who struggled with alcoholism and sickle-cell disease while performing on stage.
Street officially took over as a lead singer in mid-1971, lending his voice to massive hits like 'Papa Was a Rollin' Stone' (1972) and 'Masterpiece' (1973). Despite his success, the group's internal dynamics were often strained. Street eventually left in 1993 following a fallout with Otis Williams over a missed show caused by Street’s emergency surgery to remove seventeen kidney stones.
Reflecting on his legacy, Street viewed The Temptations' music as 'message songs' intended to represent the Black experience during a time when few Black icons were visible. He spent his final years touring as a solo artist and co-authoring an autobiography, which was published posthumously in 2014.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Richard Street
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