David Ruffin - A Profile

David Ruffin was born Davis Eli Ruffin on 18 Jan 1941 in Whynot, MS, and died on 1 Jun 1991 from an accidental overdose of crack cocaine aged 50. He would have been 82 today.

He is of course famous for being one of The Temptations between 1964-68, arguably their most successful years known as the 'The Classic Five' along with Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams. He replaced original member Elbridge "Al" Bryant in 1964. Ruffin sang lead on their first #1 hit "My Girl" (which is now their signature song), as well as another five #1 R&B hits and many other top 5 singles. In fact all, but one, of their #1 hits featured Ruffin on lead whilst he was with the group.

With is father being a strict Baptist minister, it's no big surprise that he began singing gospel in the family group who opened shows for gospel artists such as Mahaliah Jackson and The Blind Boys Of Mississippi. He left home aged 14 and moved to Memphis, TN, with minister Eddie Bush as his guardian, with the intention of following the ministry. He performed from the age of 15 using the name Little David Bush and later joined The Dixie Nightingales and also became a member of The Soul Stirrers after Johnnie Taylor left the group, who had replaced Sam Cooke in the group in 1957.

At 16 Ruffin moved with Bush and his wife to Detroit where his brother Jimmy was working for Ford Motor Company whilst trying to pursue a career in music. In Detroit he released a single "You and I" / "Believe Me" in 1959 under the name Little David Bush on Vega. His next record was released on Anna in 1961, where he was working alongside Marvin Gaye packing records as well as being the drummer for The Voice Masters, using the name David Ruffin "I'm in Love" / "One of These Days". Prior to that he recorded four singles with The Voice Masters between 1959-60 on Anna. Anna was a label set up in the late 50s by, and named after, Berry Gordy's sister Anna. He released another two singles for Chess subsidiary Checkmate "You Can Get What I Got" / "Action Speaks Louder Than Words" (Sep 1961) and "Mr. Bus Driver - Hurry!" / "Knock You Out (With Love)" (Apr 1962).

His brother Jimmy was signed to Motown's Miracle imprint in 1961 (which was later changed in 1962 to Gordy to avoid conflicting with the group The Miracles) and will be forever known for his 1966 smash hit "What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted". Through his brother Jimmy, who went on a Motortown Revue with The Temptations, he found out that they were looking for a tenor to replace Elbridge "Al" Bryant. They both auditioned for the group but they chose David, partly because he could dance and Jimmy couldn't, and the rest is history. 

During his tenure with the group they achieved sixteen R&B chart hits, all but two were top 10 with six reaching the top spot. He sang lead on the following hits: "My Girl" (#1 1965),  "It's Growing" (#3 1965), "Since I Lost My Baby" (#4 1965), "My Baby" (#4 1965), "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" (#1 1966), "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" (#1 1966), "(I Know) I'm Losing You" (#1 1966), "All I Need" (#2 1967), "(Loneliness Made Me Realize) It's You That I Need" (#3 1967), "I Wish It Would Rain" (#1 1967), and "I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)" (#1 1968). 

The success went to his head and he began demanding lead billing and that the group should be renamed David Ruffin & The Temptations in line with Diana Ross & The Supremes. He became addicted to cocaine and missed rehearsals and shows. When he missed a performance in Cleveland, OH, in June 1968 he was promptly dismissed from the group to be replaced by Dennis Edwards from another Motown group The Contours whose contract had expired in 1967. The Contours then disbanded but regrouped in the early 70s. Edwards had replaced Joe Stubbs in The Contours (the brother of Levi Stubbs (Four Tops)) who then joined 100 Proof (Aged In Soul) on Holland, Dozier, Holland's Hot Wax.

Ruffin tried to leave Motown in 1968, after being sacked from the group, but they wouldn't release him enforcing the contract, instead giving him a separate contract as a solo artist. He released seven solo albums for the label between 1969-77, one with his brother Jimmy with another unreleased album, recorded in 1970/71, posthumously released as "'David' Unreleased LP & More" by Hip-O-Select in 2004. Two further albums were released on Warner Bros in 1979/1980. 

In 1982 Ruffin re-joined The Temptations, along with Eddie Kendrick who by this time had also left the group (and dropped the 's' from his name), for the "Reunion" album but Ruffin began to miss shows to promote the album and was inevitably fired once again.

He then collaborated with Eddie Kendrick featuring on a live album by Daryl Hall & John Oates in 1985 and a duet album with Kendrick in 1987.

The pair teamed up with Dennis Edwards and began touring and planned a European tour but Ruffin died in 1991 and Kendrick followed in 1992 with lung cancer. 

I the early 90s Denis Edwards formed  a group named Dennis Edwards & The Temptations which led to a legal dispute with Otis Williams who won the rights to the Temptations name so  in 1999 Edwards renamed the group The Temptations Review Featuring Dennis Edwards (go figure?). He died in Feb 2018 but the group continues to perform and includes David Sea taking on David Ruffin's role.

Ruffin's solo career didn't really take off. He had seven R&B top 20 hits and another six entries, of which only one broke into the top 50 and many others which didn't chart. His biggest single was "Walk Away From Love" (#1 R&B 1975) followed by his first single "My Whole World Ended (The Moment you Left Me)" (#2 1969).

Album Discography

David Ruffin

1969 - My Whole World Ended

1969 - Feelin' Good

The Ruffin Brothers (David & Jimmy Ruffin)

1970 - I Am My Brother's Keeper

David Ruffin

1971 - David (unissued until 2004)

1973 - David Ruffin

1974 - Me 'N Rock 'N Roll Are Here To Stay

1975 - Who I Am

1976 - Everything's Coming Up Love

1977 - In My Stride

1979 - So Soon We Change

1980 - Gentleman Ruffin

Daryl Hall & John Oates with David Ruffin & Eddie Kendrick

1985 - Live At The Apollo

Ruffin & Kendrick

1988 - Ruffin & Kendrick

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