Eddie Kendricks - A Profile

Eddie Kendricks (Edward James Kendrick 17 Dec 1939 - 5 Oct 1992) was one of the lead singers with The Temptations between 1960-71 and was lead on one of their biggest singles "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)". His best known solo single is probably his #1 Hot 100 and R&B, Frank Wilson written and produced, hit "Keep On Truckin'" from 1973.

Today would have been his 83rd birthday had he not died from lung cancer on Oct 1992 aged 52. 

Kendricks was born in Union Springs, AL, in 1939 moving to Birmingham were he met Paul Williams in the church choir. With two more friends, Kell Osborne and Jerome Averette, they formed a doo-wop group called The Cavaliers in 1955. In 1957 they moved to Cleveland, OH, where they met their manager Milton Jenkins and then moved to Detroit, MI, renaming themselves The Primes. When Osborne moved to California the group disbanded.

Kendricks and Paul Williams joined forces with The Distants, whose members included Elbridge 'Al' Bryant, Otis Williams and Melvin 'Blue' Franklin becoming The Elgins and then The Temptations and signed to Motown. 

The Temptations became one of Motown's most successful male groups but Kendricks wasn't happy towards the end of the 60s with the change in musical direction of Norman Whitfield to more psychedelic funk and left in Nov 1970 following David Ruffin's earlier departure in Oct 1968. His last Temptations recording was their 1971 #1 hit "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)", which by the time it was #1 he had signed a solo contract with Tamla and was recording his debut solo album aptly titled "All By Myself". It is said that The Temptations 1971 hit, "Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)", after his departure was a jibe towards Kendricks and also David Ruffin who'd left two tears earlier.

His first six singles were minor R&B hits with "Girl You Need A Change Of Mind" becoming a cult single before his #1 hit with "Keep On Truckin'" in 1973 which made him the only member of the Temptations to register a number one hit in the U.S. as a solo artist. He followed it with "Boogie Down" which also reached #1 Hot 100 and #2 R&B. 

In 1978, having released nine albums on Tamla and with the hits beginning to slow down, he moved to Arista in 1978 where he released a further two albums between 1978-79 and then one for Atlantic in 1981.

A strange release came in 1983 on Ms. Dixie with a promo single "When I'm Close To You" stating that it was from a forthcoming album of the same name which didn't materialise although the song features on "I've Got My Eyes On You" so perhaps the title was changed. This album was followed with a live album by Hall & Oates which featured Kendricks, now reverting to his birth name Kendrick, and Ruffin which was then followed with a duet album with David Ruffin in 1987 which appears to be his final recording. 

The song "Intimate Friends" from his Atlantic album "Love Keys" has been sampled by both Alicia Keys ("Unbreakable" on "Unplugged" 2005) and Erykah Badu ("Fall in Love (Your Funeral)" on "New Amerykah Part Two: Return Of The Ankh" 2010) who also sampled "My People" from his "People ... Hold On" on "My People" on "New Amerykah: Part One (4th World War)" 2007.

Kendrick and David Ruffin teamed up with another former Temptation Dennis Edwards and planned to tour together as Ruffin/Kendrick/Edwards but that plan was cut short by Kendrick being diagnosed with lung cancer in 1991 and then the death of Ruffin from an accidental drug overdose in June 1991 aged 50.

Album Discography

Tamla

1971 - All by Myself

1972 - People ... Hold On

1973 - Eddie Kendricks

1974 - Boogie Down!

1974 - For You

1975 - The Hit Man

1976 - He's a Friend

1976 - Goin' Up in Smoke

1977 - Slick

Arista

1978 - Vintage '78

1979 - Something More

Atlantic

1981 - Love Keys

Ms. Dixie

1983 - I've Got My Eyes on You

RCA

1985 - Live at the Apollo

1988 - Ruffin & Kendrick 

The playlist below kicks off with half a dozen Temptations songs no which he can be clearly heard on lead vocals before cherry picking tracks chronologically from his fourteen available albums.

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