Eddie Kendricks - Let Yourself Go

The greatest falsetto, the sweetest smile, responsible for dress and style. However, the Expressive vocalist was known not only for his years as an original member of Motown's supergroup, The Temptations, but also for his major success as a solo artist in the 1970's. He was born Edward James Kendrick (which he later changed to Kendricks) on December 17, 1939 in Union Springs, Alabama, and moved to Birmingham when he was seven, but it would be Motown's original home of Detroit that would make him a star.

Eddie Kendricks was an American 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 1960 until 1971. His was the lead voice on such famous songs as "The Way You Do The Things You Do", "Get Ready", and "Just My Imagination".

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's 1972 album People... Hold On (with the aid of his touring group, The Young Senators) 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" (Later remade by R&B singer D'Angelo for the Get on the Bus Soundtrack) from the album was a particular favorite at David Mancuso's Loft. As the dance craze seeped through into other cities, Kendricks scored a #1 pop hit in 1973 with the Frank Wilson-produced "Keep on Truckin'". It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. Future hits included "Boogie Down" (US #2) (1974) and another million selling release, "Son of Sagittarius" (US #28) (1974), "Shoeshine Boy" (US #18) (1975), and "He's a Friend" (US #36) (1976). Another notable song is "Intimate Friends" (1977), which is sampled for the Alicia Keys song "Unbreakable" (2005) and "A Penny for My Thoughts" by Common. His song "My People... Hold on" was also sampled by Erykah Badu for her song "My People" on her album New Amerykah Part One (4th World War). Sweet Sable's "Old Time's Sake" has been sampled on the soundtrack for the 1994 2Pac film, Above the Rim. Sparkle's "Time to Move on" was sampled on her self-titled first studio album.

Exasperated by lack of creative and financial control, Kendricks left Motown, forced to sign away the rights to his royalties to do so, in 1978, moving first to Arista Records, and later to Atlantic Records. By this time, his popularity had waned, and he was also gradually losing his voice as a result of chain smoking. He and David Ruffin briefly re-joined the Temptations for a 1982 reunion tour. 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.

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, although Kendrick and Edwards continued to tour for the remainder of 1991.
In late 1991, Kendrick, by now living in his native Birmingham, Alabama, underwent surgery to have one of his lungs removed in hopes of preventing the spread of the cancer. He continued to tour through the summer of 1992, when he fell ill again and was hospitalized. Kendrick died on October 5, 1992, of lung cancer in Birmingham at the age of 52. Kendrick is survived by his three children: Parris Kendrick, Aika Kendrick and Paul Kendrick. He was buried in Elmwood Cemetery.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Eddie
• Kendricks
• Let
• Yourself
• Go
• falsetto
• singing
• group
• The
• Temptations
• Motown
• soulful
• R&B
• Hip-Hop
• rap
• sampled
• EPMD
• 2Pac
• D'Angelo
• Sparkle
• Alicia
• Keys
• Common
• Erykah
• Badu

[beautifulwaterlily]

nice song ,

thank you for sharing

[breathoffreshair360]

@beautifulwaterlily I'm sincerely welcome, thank for watching. ~ Phurdrick :)

[AbbottSupreme]

The always well kempt with that Smooth delivery Mr. Eddie Kendricks 5/5* Peace!

[breathoffreshair360]

@AbbottSupreme Yes, so true, lol. Soulful music like this always played throughout our house whole, brother. So I'm happily proud to share these great tunes with us around the world. ~ Phurdrick