The Temptations Acceptance Speech at the 1989 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony 

So you let Ruffin die

It's so sad that half the people on that stage are gone. At least the music remains.

And AL Bryant, Richard Street, Ollie Woodson, and Damon.

Melvin is rick james uncle

@@str8southinternationaltv152 Melvin would say everyone was related to him he claimed Ruffin was a cousin too and Richard Street.

Yep, the only one left is Otis. Unless he has passed too. But I believe he is still alive. I made this comment on 11/14/2022 at 2:02 a.m. On my son's 14th birthday :)

Thank you for sharing your father's footprints with the world and The Fans....Your family is greatly appreciated

But Motown loves pushing that female S unit the most.

His voice and just his all around personality was very admirable

Like a good strong cup of Black Coffee

Damn. He seemed so freaking sweet. That voice!

I just watched the movie for the 100x (good movie!) And wanted to watch some actual videos. I love Melvin and my name is Kimberly! So when he said hey Kimberly i was like😻😻 Im 24 and wish everyday i could go back for a week in time just to experience them, Motown and the wholesome upbringing of life back then. Nowadays it's cut throat out here.. Hardly No love,family ,soul/pride, real friends and faith like back then.😞

Yes❤❤❤❤❤

Sometimes the stereotype of the abused become the abusers is nothing but the truth. And is a shame all they needed was a little love. Brings grief

Nah they might as well induct the sylvers

@@newavatar2947 New Edition definitely deserves it, they had a lot of success together and apart. Not many groups can say that.

@@teewill1917 Maybe the Soul Train awards but definitely NOT the R&R Hall of Fame Temptations ain't rock even though they are legendary Put in Chuck Berry, Little Richard and James Brown in R&R Hall of Fame THATS IT

100% right, without them it’s Otis, Melvin and some karaoke singers !

@@SuperBeachbum74please don’t diminish or downplay them. If there was no Blue and Otis, the temptations wouldn’t exist. Otis created the damn group dumdum! And he’s the only one left.

@@missvida6251 as David Ruffin said, “ soon they’re be more ex tempts than the tempts “. I love the Temptations, who to be, would be bigger than the Beat,especially if white. I have 2 Beatles lps in my life and 7 Temps lps plus 1 Kendrick and 2 Ruffin sole lps. 1 Dennis Edward’s too. After reading Richard Streets bio. Otis wasn’t a fair person. Blue just followed him. Every substitute temp, Harris, Street , Price, Ollie and Leonard were not paid equally or allowed to see what money was earned or how divided. The classic five all received the same pay. This is why so many left. Yes Otis kept the group name alive but unscrupulously. As Strret said, “the least and easiest to replace received the most money. “No disrespect to the group but I preferred the classic 5. Dennis got better with time and Ollie kept the group relevant from being an oldies act. But truth is truth. And what’s sad in Streets case. Richard was the lead singer of Otis original group the Siberians.

Two halves, Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin and Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams came together to form "The Temptations."

That's pretty cool!

Eddie apparently refused to speak to Otis during the ceremony tho. 🥺 I feel like the movie made all of them except Blue look like shit. They all had their flaws but they were all human. I wasn’t even born when 4 of these 6 legends who were inducted died but I miss them. Especially Paul.

Me too, Ms. Sylvia! Me too!

I was thinking that by the time they were inducted he’s been with them for 15+ years he should’ve been up there he’s played an integral role in their legacy

Eddie kendericks

He’s not a founding member. He left before they became the Temptations.

@CliveSummers02nah unfortunately Damon didn’t stay that long

@@jaylene.turner6524 :: Davd was not an original member, either. Looking back, I would have loved to see Richard inducted because he was a part of the Grammy-winning subset of Temptations, and he sang with them over 25 years. But the six inductees are the reason that the Temptations are still relevant in 2024 although there have been a plethora of talented brothers who have worn the Temptations mantle.

So glad they all recieved they're flowers 💐before they passed away.

@@petitpois8813 yes

Except for Otis.

@@jaylene.turner6524 The down fall is otis had alot of personal tragedies to.

David Ruffin was not an original Tempt; he replaced Elbridge Bryant almost four years after the Tempts signed with Motown. Bryant sang on every song on their first album " Meet The Temptations" except " The Way You Do The Things You Do", which was their first international hit.

he wouldn't have made the group

I think it was more bc Paul helped him "become" a Temptation as far as dancing and how to carry himself. They said Paul didn't play with those two things and Eddie wasn't playing about the look of the Tempts. Unless there were talks about staying as 4 after David, I think he meant in his transition to becoming a Temptation. Dennis was very tall and thick 🤣 I bet it took him a while to do choreography lol

He wasn't an original member, the classic 5 would've likely been inducted. Richard Street was not included here but at this point he had been in the group 18 years.

Dennis actually replaced David Ruffin, not Paul Williams. Richard Street replaced Paul. So I don't know.

Dennis and David wasn’t an original members. They got in only because they were on a string of hits. David replaced founding member Elbridge Bryant.

A lot of people in Mr David Ruffin's life hurt him as a boy and as a man. Mr Ruffin made a lot of wrong decisions; A lot of wrong decisions were made about him. Unfortunately, Mr David Ruffin died without his Inner Pain Being Healed BUT GOD'S MERCY RELEASED TO Mr Ruffin makes him Healed from the Inside Out . . . His giftted voice has healed MILLIONS. Ironic how life works. MIRACULOUS how GOD WORKS. Mankind may have seen Mr Ruffin as a piece of work, to GOD Mr David Ruffin is One of GOD'S MASTERPIECES. Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful voice, what a pleasure it is to see Mr Ruffin on Reel-to-Reel and on Videos perform and oh what pain you feel along with him from deep down inside when he is scrawling only THE TRUE LIVING CAN and DOES MEET the one and only Mr Ruffin to HEAL him that He may live throughout eternity, RIGG! (Resting Resting In GOD'S GLORY!)

They had more financial and crossover success after Ruffin was fired. IF the group had been changed to make him the headliner, the Temptations would have died before they reached their peak with Dennis Edwards.