History Music / TheTemptations

[[TearJerker Sadly though, many of the members have passed on]], and by the mid 90s, only Otis was still living from the classic lineup.

* DemotedToExtra:Paul Williams was the original lead singer of the group as well as the original choreographer, but both of these roles were given to others. However, he still played a key role in both areas until his illness and eventual departure.

* Davis "David" Ruffin:tenor(1964-68;d.1991)

* '''Eddie Kendrick (Eddie Kendricks)''':high tenor(1969-71;1982;d.1982)

* DemotedtoExtra:Paul Williams was the original lead singer of the group as well as the original choreographer, but both of these roles were given to others. However, he still played a key role in both areas until his illness and eventual departure.

* SillyLoveSongs: Their specialty early on their career.

* CoverVersion: Several over the years, due to the occasional AlbumFiller that was the norm for early Motown records, as well as standards and the group's ChristmasSongs.

* DisappearedDad: The subject matter of Papa Was a Rolling Stone.

** ''Cloud Nine'', in addition to being their first with Dennis Edwards, ushered in the group's Psychedelic Soul period that lasted until the mid 1970s.

* SillyLoveSongs: Their specialty early on their career.
* Step Up To the Microphone:
** "Ol Man River" was this for Melvin, and would be his spotlight Number until his retirement and death.
** Similarly, "For Once In My Life", as well as "Don't Look Back", both served as This for Paul, and both were retired upon his departure and death.
** As he very rarely sang lead to begin, "Don't Send Me Away" off ''Whole Lotta Soul'' and "I Ain't Got Nothin" off ''All Directions'' both serve as this for Otis

* SillyLoveSongs: Their specialty early on their career.

** ''The Temptations With a Whole Lotta Soul''', their first with Norman Whitfield, represented a transition to a harder edge Soul sound as opposed to the doo wop flavored early records

* RevisitingTheRoots: After two years of specializing in uptempo numbers influenced by PsychedelicRock, they released "Just My Imagination" in 1971, an elegant ballad more in line with their older work. It became one of their biggest hits.

** Otis and Melvin, who closely led the band together until the latter's death.

* TheBigEater: Eddie, hence his nickname "Cornbread".

** Eddie and Paul, and later, Eddie and David.
** Otis and Melvin.

** David Ruffin was fired in part because of his cocaine addiction, which plagued his solo career and culminated in his death from an overdose.
** In his last months as a member, Paul increasingly struggled to perform due to his illness(he suffered from Sickle Cell Disease) and alcoholism, with his eventual replacement Richard Street lip-synching from backstage.

* Demoted to Extra:Paul Williams was the original lead singer of the group as well as the original choreographer, but both of these roles were given to others. However, he still played a key role in both areas until his illness and eventual departure.

** Eddie and Paul, and later, Eddie and David.
** Otis and Melvin.

*

* Ain'tTooProudToBeg: The TropeNamer.

!!My Tropes, Talkin Bout my tropes!:

* '''Paul Williams''':baritone(1960-71;d.1973)

* ''Larry Braggs'':tenor(2016-Present)

* Harry McGilbery:bass (1995-03;d.2006)

*

* '''''Otis Miles, Jr.(Otis Williams)''''':tenor/baritone(1960-Present)

* '''''Otis Miles, Jr.(Otis Williams):tenor/baritone(1960-Present)

* '''Eddie Kendrick (Eddie Kendricks)''':high tenor(1969-71;1982;d.1982)

* '''Eddie Kendrick (Eddie Kendricks):high tenor(1969-71;1982;d.1982)

* ''Larry Braggs'': tenor(2016-Present)

* Barrington "Bo" Henderson:tenor(1998-03)
* Walter "Joe" Herndon:bass(2003-15)

[[TearJerker Sadly though, many of the members have passed on]], and by the mid 90s, only Otis was still living from the classic lineup.

Inititally, they had several low charting singles before Al Bryant was fired for erratic behavior and replaced by [[FaceOftheBand David Ruffin]]....

The group was formed in 1960 as a merge of two vocal groups: The Primes (the male counterpart to the Primettes, later known as {{The Supremes}}, consisting of Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams; and The Elgins, consisting of Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, and [[ThePeteBest Elbridge "Al" Bryant]]. Shortly thereafter