Eddie Kendricks
Eddie Kendricks | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Edward James Kendrick[1] |
Born | Union Springs, Alabama, U.S. | December 17, 1939
Origin | Ensley, Alabama, U.S. |
Died | October 5, 1992 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.[2] | (aged 52)
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
|
Instrument(s) | Vocals |
Years active | 1955–1992 |
Labels | |
Formerly of | The Temptations |
Edward James Kendrick
Life and career
Early years: 1939–1960
Kendricks was born to Johnny and Lee Bell Kendrick
The Temptations: 1960–1971
The Temptations began singing background for
In the Temptations, Kendricks was responsible for creating most of the group's vocal arrangements, and also served as wardrobe manager, including the now famous purple suits the group wore for one performance. Though Whitfield had chief responsibility for writing, Kendricks co-wrote and received credit for several Temptations songs apart from "
Kendricks remained in the group through the rest of the decade, but a number of issues began to push him away from it in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was uncomfortable with singing the psychedelic style that Whitfield was now crafting for the group as opposed to the romantic ballads they had sung under the direction of Smokey Robinson;[6] his friend Paul Williams was often too ill to perform with the group; and Kendricks often found himself at odds with bandmates Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin. As he grew away from the group, Kendricks began to rekindle his friendship with ex-Temptation David Ruffin, who convinced him to leave.[citation needed]
In a 1991 interview with a Chicago television series called Urban Street, Kendricks said he had actually considered leaving the group as early as 1965, even though that was when the band was finally starting to take off, because of things that "weren't quite proper." He explained that they were working with people that "didn't have their best interests at heart." Kendricks, however, initially decided to stay in the group because he was worried he would not get the support he needed if he left. He also said that his relationship with Berry Gordy was less than cordial. "Berry Gordy is a man I don't know, I only met him about three times," he said, but "I know he didn't particularly care for me." Kendricks stated that he did not agree with many decisions that were made.
After one final altercation with Williams and Franklin during a run at the
Solo career and later years: 1971–1992
Kendricks' solo career began slowly; he endured two years of singles that missed the Top 40, while the Temptations continued with their string of Norman Whitfield-helmed hits (one of which, "
Exasperated by a lack of creative and financial control, Kendricks left Motown in 1978.[6] He moved first to Arista Records and later to Atlantic Records.[6] By this time, his popularity had waned, and he was also gradually losing his upper range as a result of chain smoking.
Kendricks and Ruffin re-joined the Temptations for a well-received 1982 reunion tour.[10] The group, then a seven-piece act, also recorded a reunion album, and enjoyed a hit with the Rick James-written-and-produced "Standing on the Top". Kendricks sang a few lead lines on the song but had no leads on any of the LP's other tracks. In an interview with Tom Meros, Dennis Edwards, Kendricks' former Temptations bandmate, claimed that Kendricks had problems hitting the higher notes during recording sessions for the album. Because of his singing difficulty, Edwards said that Kendricks went to a physician to examine his vocal ability. The physician discovered a "pin drop" of cancer on one of his lungs. However, Kendricks reportedly refused to undergo chemotherapy at the time because of fear that he would lose his hair.[11]
Ruffin and Kendrick (Kendricks dropped the "s" from his stage name during the 1980s) reportedly met up one night when Ruffin went to watch Kendrick perform in a nightclub; Kendrick spotted Ruffin in the crowd, pointed him out, and invited him to come up on stage and perform with him. Afterward they talked about touring on their own and recorded an album as a duo for RCA in 1988.[6]
Earlier, in 1985, they participated in the Hall & Oates live album, Live at The Apollo, recorded at a benefit at New York City's Apollo Theater; and sang with the duo at Live Aid in Philadelphia[6] and the MTV Video Music Awards in New York. Hall & Oates have cited Kendrick and Ruffin specifically, and the Temptations in general, as a major influence. Ruffin started touring with Kendrick as a duo act in 1985. The live medley of "The Way You Do the Things You Do" and "My Girl" was released as a single, reaching number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 12 on the Adult Contemporary chart, and number 40 on the R&B chart.[12][13] The single earned them a Grammy nomination.[14]
In 1989, Kendrick, Ruffin, and their Temptations bandmates were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. There, Kendrick and Ruffin made plans with fellow former Temptation Dennis Edwards to tour and record as "Ruffin/Kendrick/Edwards, Former Leads of the Temptations". The Ruffin/Kendrick/ Edwards project was cut short in 1991, when Kendrick was diagnosed with lung cancer and David Ruffin died of a drug overdose,[15] although Kendrick and Edwards continued to tour for the remainder of 1991. After having surgery in late 1991, Kendricks resumed touring through the summer of 1992.
Death
In late 1991 Kendricks, by now living in his native Birmingham, Alabama underwent surgery to have one of his lungs removed in the hope of preventing the spread of cancer.[10] He believed the disease was caused by his 30 years of smoking.[16] He continued to tour through the summer of 1992, when he fell ill again and was hospitalized.
Kendricks died of lung cancer at Baptist Medical Center-Princeton in Birmingham on October 5, 1992, at age 52.[17] He was survived by his three children: Parris, Aika, and Paul Kendricks (named after Paul Williams). A funeral service was held at the First Baptist Church in Ensley, Alabama. He was buried in Elmwood Cemetery, Birmingham. Friends and fans paid tribute to Kendricks at four concerts, held at the Strand in Los Angeles, on October 16 and October 17, 1992. Performers including Bobby Womack, Chaka Khan, Mary Wilson, and Vesta Willams sang Temptations songs, as well as some of their own.[15]
Legacy
Kendricks was nominated for four Grammy Awards, winning one for "Cloud Nine" with the Temptations in 1969.[14] The Temptations received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.[18] In 1998, NBC aired The Temptations, a four-hour television miniseries based upon an autobiographical book by Otis Williams. Kendricks was portrayed by actor Terron Brooks.
On October 16, 1999, Eddie Kendrick Memorial Park, located on the corner of 18th Street and 4th Avenue North, was dedicated to Birmingham native Eddie Kendricks of the Temptations. The park uses Kendricks' family name without the "s", which was added early in his career. The memorial features a bronze sculpture of Kendricks by local artist Ron McDowell as well as sculptures of the other Temptations, set into a granite wall. Inscribed on the granite are the names of Temptations' hit songs. Recorded music can be heard throughout the park, featuring songs by Kendricks and the Temptations.
In 1989, Kendricks was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Temptations. Rapper Kendrick Lamar was named by his mother after Kendricks.[19] In 2019, Kendricks was inducted as a solo artist into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.
Discography
With The Temptations
Solo
Albums
- Tamla (Motown) releases
Year | Album | Chart positions | |
---|---|---|---|
US [20] |
US R&B [21] | ||
1971 | All by Myself
|
80 | 6 |
1972 | People ... Hold On
|
131 | 13 |
1973 | Eddie Kendricks
|
18 | 5 |
1974 | Boogie Down!
|
30 | 1 |
1974 | For You
|
108 | 8 |
1975 | The Hit Man
|
63 | 9 |
1976 | He's a Friend
|
38 | 3 |
1976 | Goin' Up in Smoke
|
114 | 22 |
1977 | Slick
|
— | 47 |
- Arista releases
Year | Album | Chart positions | |
---|---|---|---|
US [20] |
US R&B [21] | ||
1978 | Vintage '78 | 180 | 33 |
1979 | Something More | — | 68 |
- Atlantic release
- 1981: Love Keys (US R&B #62)
- Ms. Dixie release
- 1983: I've Got My Eyes on You
as Daryl Hall & John Oates with David Ruffin and Eddie Kendrick
- RCA release
- 1985: Live at the Apollo (US Pop #21; US R&B #41; UK #32)
as Ruffin and Kendrick
- RCA release
- 1987: Ruffin & Kendrick (US R&B #60)
Singles
- Tamla (Motown) releases
Year | Title and Catalog Number | Peak Chart Positions | Album | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [22] |
US R&B [22] |
US Dance [22] |
UK
[23] | |||
1971 | "This Used to Be the Home of Johnnie Mae" (T 54203)
b/w "It's So Hard for Me to Say Goodbye" |
88 (b-side)
|
37 (b-side)
|
—
|
—
|
All by Myself |
"I Did It All for You" (T 54210F)
b/w "Can I?" |
101
|
37 (b-side)
|
—
|
—
| ||
1972 | "Let Me Run into Your Lonely Heart" (T 54218F)
b/w "Eddie's Love" |
77 (b-side)
|
35 (b-side)
|
—
|
—
|
People ... Hold On |
"If You Let Me" (T 54222F)
b/w "Just Memories" |
66
|
17
|
—
|
—
| ||
"Girl, You Need a Change of Mind (Part 1)" (T 54230F)
b/w "Girl, You Need a Change of Mind (Part 2)" |
87
|
13
|
—
|
—
| ||
1973 | "Darling, Come Back Home" (T 54236F)
b/w "Loving You the Second Time Around" (from Boogie Down) |
67
|
26
|
—
|
—
|
Eddie Kendricks |
" Keep on Truckin' (Part 1) " (T 54238F)
b/w "Keep on Truckin' (Part 2)" |
1
|
1
|
—
|
18
| ||
"Boogie Down" (T 54243F)
b/w "Can't Help What I Am" (from Eddie Kendricks) |
2
|
1
|
—
|
39
|
Boogie Down | |
1974 | "Son of Sagittarius" (T 54247F)
b/w "Trust Your Heart" |
28
|
5
|
—
|
—
| |
"Tell Her Love Has Felt the Need" (T 54249F)
b/w "Loving You the Second Time Around" |
50
|
8
|
—
|
—
| ||
"One Tear" (T 54255F)
b/w "The Thin Man" (from Boogie Down) |
71
|
8
|
—
|
—
|
For You | |
1975 | "Shoeshine Boy" (T 54257F)
b/w "Hooked on Your Love" (from Boogie Down) |
18
|
1
|
—
|
—
| |
"Get the Cream Off the Top" (T 54260F)
b/w "Honey Brown" (from Boogie Down) |
50
|
7
|
—
|
—
|
The Hit Man | |
"Happy" (T 54263F)
b/w "Deep and Quiet Love" |
66
|
8
|
—
|
—
| ||
1976 | "He's a Friend" (T 54266F)
b/w "All of My Love" |
36
|
2
|
7
|
—
|
He's a Friend |
"Get It While It's Hot" (T 54270F)
b/w "Never Gonna Leave You" |
82
|
24
|
—
|
—
| ||
"Goin' Up in Smoke" (T 54277F)
b/w "Thanks for the Memories" |
94
|
30
|
11
|
—
|
Goin' Up in Smoke | |
1977 | "Born Again" (T 54285F)
b/w "Date with the Rain" (from People ... Hold On) |
—
|
65
|
—
|
—
| |
"Intimate Friends" (T 54290F)
b/w "Baby" |
102
|
24
|
—
|
—
|
Slick | |
"—" denotes a single that was not released in that territory or did not chart |
- Arista releases
Year | Title and Catalog Number | Peak Chart Positions | Album | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US R&B [22] |
US Dance [22] | |||
1978 | "Ain't No Smoke Without Fire" (AS 3025)
b/w "Love Love Love" |
13
|
20
|
Vintage '78 |
"The Best of Strangers Now" (AS 0346)
b/w "Don't Underestimate the Power of Love" |
58
|
—
| ||
1979 | "I Just Want To Be The One In Your Life" (AS 0466)
b/w "I Can't Let You Walk Away" |
87
|
—
|
Something More |
- Atlantic release
Year | Title and Catalog Number | Peak Chart Positions | Album |
---|---|---|---|
US R&B [22] | |||
1981 | "(Oh I) Need Your Loving" (3796)
b/w "Looking for Love" |
41
|
Love Keys |
- Ms. Dixie release
- 1983: I'm In Love With You
- Corner Stonerelease
- 1984: Surprise Attack (US R&B #87)
- RCA release
- 1985: "A Night at the Apollo Live!" (US R&B #40, US Pop #20, US AC #12, UK #58)[24] (Daryl Hall and John Oates featuring David Ruffin and Eddie Kendrick)
- 1987: "I Couldn't Believe It" (Ruffin & Kendrick) (US R&B #14, US AC #48, UK #85)
- 1988: "One More for the Lonely Hearts Club" (Ruffin & Kendrick) (US R&B #43)
References
- ^ "Eddie Kendricks". WBSS Media. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- ^ a b "Buried Here - Eddie Kendricks, a Lead Singer of the Temptations". Rock and Roll Roadmaps. December 19, 2015. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
- ^ "Kendricks' tenor made it impossible to resist Temptations APPRECIATION". Baltimore Sun. October 7, 1992. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
- ^ a b Henderson, Alex. "Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
- ^ "Eddie Kendricks, 52; Sang With the Temptations". The New York Times. October 7, 1992. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ ISBN 0-85112-733-9.
- ISBN 0-8154-1218-5.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 319.
- ^ ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ a b "Singer Eddie Kendricks Mourned By Music World". Jet. October 26, 1992. pp. 53–54, 60.
- ^ Meros, Tom. "Dennis Edwards (Interview)". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100" (PDF). Billboard. October 12, 1985. p. 75.
- ^ "Daryl Hall & John Oates Chart History". Billboard.
- ^ a b "Eddie Kendricks". Recording Academy Grammy Awards.
- ^ a b "Friends, Fans Pay Tribute To Late Temptations Singer Eddie Kendricks Ar Concerts". Jet. Vol. 83, no. 3. November 9, 1992. p. 60.
- ^ "Obituary: Eddie Kendricks". The Independent. October 7, 1992. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
- ^ Billboard. October 17, 1992. p. 12. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
- ^ "Lifetime Achievement Award: The Temptations". Recording Academy Grammy Awards. January 28, 2013.
- ^ Miranda J (September 18, 2013). "Did You Know Kendrick Lamar Was Named After One Of The Temptations?". XXL Mag. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
- ^ a b "Eddie Kendricks - Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
- ^ a b "Eddie Kendricks - Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f "Eddie Kendricks Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Music VF. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
- ^ "EDDIE KENDRICKS - full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
- ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
External links
- Eddie Kendricks, 52; Sang With the Temptations – October 7, 1992, NYTimes
- EDDIE KENDRICKS BEST INTERVIEW on YouTubeUrban Street. 1991. Retrieved 1/30/09
- Eddie Kendrick Memorial Park
- Eddie Kendricks discography at Discogs
- Eddie Kendricks at Find a Grave