Eddie Kendricks American musician, member of The Temptations Date of Birth: 17.12.1939 Country: USA

Biography of Eddie Kendrick

Eddie Kendrick, also known as Edward James Kendrick, was an American musician and a member of the renowned group "The Temptations." He was born in 1939 in Union Springs, Alabama, USA. Eddie grew up with his three brothers - Charles, Robert, and Clarence, and his sister Patricia. The family later moved to Birmingham, where Eddie began singing in the church choir with his best friend, Paul Williams.

In the mid-1950s, Eddie, Paul, Kell Osborne, and Jerome Averette formed a group called "The Cavaliers" and started performing in Birmingham and later expanded their tours to Ohio and Michigan. The group's name was soon changed to "Primettes" and eventually became known as "The Supremes."

In 1961, Eddie moved to California and joined the male vocal group "The Temptations," which was signed to the Motown label. The group was formed through the merger of two other groups, "The Primes" and "The Distants." Eddie, officially considered the first tenor in the group, primarily sang in falsetto. His voice can be heard in popular compositions such as "Dream Come True" (1962), "The Way You Do the Things You Do" (1964), "Get Ready" (1966), "Please Return Your Love to Me" (1968), and "Just My Imagination" (1971). Eddie played a crucial role in creating most of the group's well-known songs.

With increasing success, "The Temptations" became the most successful male soul group of the Motown label. However, internal conflicts within the group hindered their work in the early 1970s. Eddie left "The Temptations" in 1971 after the release of the highly successful ballad "Just My Imagination" and embarked on his solo career.

Initially, Eddie's solo career did not achieve significant success with his early albums "All By Myself" (1971) and "People... Hold On" (1972). However, in 1973, he found success with the release of the single "Keep On Truckin," followed by the hit song "Boogie Down." By the late 1970s, Eddie's popularity declined, and he left Motown. He released albums like "Vintage '78" and "Something More" under Arista Records in the late 1970s and "Love Keys" under Atlantic Records in 1981.

In 1982, Eddie reunited with former "The Temptations" member David Ruffin, and they returned to the group for a short time. In 1988, their album "Ruffin & Kendrick" was released under RCA Records.

Sadly, Eddie's health deteriorated in the early 1990s, and he was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1991. In June of the same year, David Ruffin passed away due to a drug overdose. Eddie underwent surgery and continued his concert activities but fell ill again during the summer tour of 1992. He was hospitalized and passed away on October 5, 1992, at the age of 52. Eddie Kendrick was buried at Elmwood Cemetery.

He was survived by his three children - Parris, Aika, and Paul Kendrick. In 1989, Eddie Kendrick, along with the members of "The Temptations," was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.