Eddie Kendricks

Edward James Kendrick (December 17, 1939 – October 5, 1992), better known as Eddie Kendricks, was an American tenor singer and songwriter. Noted for his distinctive falsetto singing style, Kendricks co-founded the Motown singing group the Temptations, and was one of their lead singers from 1961 until 1971. He was the lead voice on such famous songs as "The Way You Do the Things You Do", "Get Ready", and "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)". As a solo artist, Kendricks recorded several hits of his own during the 1970s including the number-one single "Keep On Truckin'" and the number-two single "Boogie Down."

Life and career

Early years: 1939–1960

Edward James Kendrick was born to Johnny and Lee Bell Kendrick in Union Springs, Alabama on December 17, 1939. He had one sister, Patricia, and three brothers, Charles, Robert, and Clarence. Kendricks and his family moved to the Ensley neighborhood of Birmingham, where he met and began singing with his best friend Paul Williams in their church choir in the late 1940s. In 1955, Kendricks, Williams, as well as their friends Kell Osborne and Willy Waller, formed a doo-wop group called the Cavaliers and they began performing around Birmingham. The group decided to move for better opportunities in their musical careers, and in 1957, the group moved to Cleveland, Ohio living on E. 123rd Street and Kinsman Road. In Cleveland, they met manager Milton Jenkins, and soon moved with Jenkins to Detroit where the Cavaliers renamed themselves the Primes. While working on his first solo album, Kendricks recorded one last hit single with the Temptations, 1971's "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)". By the time the record reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 in April 1971, Kendricks had signed a solo deal with Motown's Tamla division and was preparing the release of his first solo album, All By Myself. However, many of his problems with Motown would reoccur.

Solo career and later years: 1971–1992

thumb|upright|[[The Young Senators, who toured with Kendricks and played on People...Hold On.]]

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, "Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)", was written as a jab towards Kendricks and Ruffin). Despite enjoying only a modicum of commercial success and radio airplay, Kendricks' 1972 album People... Hold On (recorded with his touring group, the Young Senators, composed of Jimi Dougans, Frank Hooker, LeRoy Fleming, Wornell Jones, David Lecraft, James Drummer Johnson, and John Engram) was a cornerstone of DJ playlists in downtown New York's nascent disco scene. The expansive, eight-minute take on "Girl You Need a Change of Mind", which peaked at number 13 on the soul chart, was a particular favorite at David Mancuso's Loft. The single was later remade by R&B singer D'Angelo for the Get on the Bus soundtrack.

As the dance craze seeped through into other cities, Kendricks scored a number one pop hit in 1973 with the Frank Wilson-produced "Keep on Truckin'",

Further hits included 1974's "Boogie Down" (US number 2, UK number 39) and another million selling release, 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 other tracks. In an interview with Tom Meros, Dennis Edwards, Kendricks' former Temptations bandmate, claimed Kendricks had problems hitting the higher notes during recording sessions. Because of his singing difficulty, Edwards said 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 he feared losing his hair.

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 and perform with him. Afterward they talked about touring on their own and recorded an album as a duo for RCA in 1988. The single earned them a Grammy nomination.

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. However, 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. Kendricks continued to tour through the summer of 1992, when he fell ill again and was hospitalized.

On October 5, 1992, Kendricks died of lung cancer at Baptist Medical Center-Princeton in Birmingham; he was 52 years old. Kendricks 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 and Kendricks was buried in Elmwood Cemetery, Birmingham. Friends and fans paid tribute to him 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. 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 in Birmingham, was dedicated. The park uses Kendricks' family name without the "s". 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 after Kendricks. In 2019, Kendricks was inducted as a solo artist into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.

Discography

With The Temptations

Albums

{| class="wikitable"

! rowspan="2"| Year

! rowspan="2"| Album

! colspan="3"| Peak chart positions

! rowspan="2"| Certifications

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US R&B

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| UK

| 1987

|Ruffin & Kendrick (with David Ruffin)

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| style="text-align:center;" | 60

| style="text-align:center;" | —

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;" |"—" denotes an album that was not released in that territory or did not chart

Singles

{| class="wikitable"

! rowspan="2"| Year

! rowspan="2"| Title

! colspan="4"| Peak chart positions

! rowspan="2"| Certifications

! rowspan="2"| Album

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US R&B

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US Dance

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| UK

| rowspan="2"| 1971

| "It's So Hard for Me to Say Goodbye"

| rowspan="2"| All by Myself

| "Can I?"

| rowspan="3"| 1972

| "Eddie's Love"

| rowspan="3"| People ... Hold On

| "If You Let Me"

| "Girl, You Need a Change of Mind (Part 1)"

| rowspan="3"| 1973

| "Darling, Come Back Home"

| rowspan="2"| Eddie Kendricks

| "Keep on Truckin' (Part 1)"

RIAA: Gold

| Live at the Apollo

| rowspan="2"| 1987

| "I Couldn't Believe It" (with David Ruffin)

| rowspan="2"| Ruffin & Kendrick

| "One More for the Lonely Hearts Club" (with David Ruffin)

| colspan="8" style="text-align:center;" |"—" denotes a single that was not released in that territory or did not chart

References

External links

Eddie Kendricks, 52; Sang With the Temptations – October 7, 1992, NYTimes
Urban Street. 1991. Retrieved 1/30/09
Eddie Kendrick Memorial Park