Otis Williams’ Extraordinary Long Play with The Temptations

I am unable to let you know how again and again I’ve watched “The Temptations,” a miniseries that aired during my sophomore yr in college in 1998 that chronicled the rise, rise, and fall of certainly one of my favorite vocal groups, The Temptations. The Temptations, after all, are the legendary Motown band that gave us a few of Motown’s most iconic classics, including “My Girl,” “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg,” “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” “Ball of Confusion (That’s What The World Is Today)” and my personal favorite, “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me),” amongst many, many others. You know The Temptations’ songs even when you do not know you already know The Temptations’ songs. Their songs have been covered by countless artists, featured in movies, and sung by choirs. And when you’re black, you are probably familiar with their version of “Silent Night.” That’s… The Temptations.

The original lineup was probably the most famous lineup of the group—David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams, Melvin Franklin, and Otis Williams. And when the group had problems with David Ruffin, Dennis Edwards joined, and people six are people most of us know and might name by heart. The miniseries “The Temptations” was on repeat in my house when it first got here out on VHS. My sister Spelman bought me a VHS tape and I let it play until it popped. And then, after we all graduated from VCRs, I got the DVD. Between “The Five Heartbeats” and “The Temptations,” I probably watched one or the opposite each day for years, and I’m not exaggerating.

The Temptations took on a lifetime of its own when social media threw the world for a loop. There are just a few scenes within the film which can be perfect for visually expressing any variety of human situations. One of the web’s favorites, though, is when Otis Williams (Charles Malik Whitfield) and Melvin Franklin (DB Woodside) confront David Ruffin (Leon) about his scheming and why they’re kicking him out of the group. Otis notes that nobody is above the group and that nobody involves see David, they arrive to see The Temptations, to which David responds: “Nobody’s coming to see you, Otis!” Those seven words have develop into the stuff of legend. It’s value noting that Otis Williams (real-life member of The Temptations) is certainly one of the manager producers of the miniseries.

I rewatched the show (it’s mainly only a movie at this point) since it had been some time, and once I got to that scene, I laughed, like I all the time do, but then it hit me: If you’re going to look at The Temptations now, you’re actually going to see Otis, because he’s the last surviving member — at age 82 — of the unique Temptations. Paul Williams died in 1973. David Ruffin died in 1991, followed by Eddie Kendricks in 1992. Melvin Franklin died in 1995. I imagine those ’90s were really tough on Otis and all of the fans of the group. Dennis Edwards eventually died in 2018, leaving Otis Williams because the last surviving original member and certainly one of the explanations you’d wish to see The Temptations.

Music

Sure, they’ve had a ton of lineup changes, members have come and gone; they have been touring for six a long time now. But all of the individuals who were the magnets for the overwhelming majority of the songs we all know and love within the Temptations canon, well, Otis is the just one who’s still alive on those records. I’m not saying he’s outlived everyone else out of spite, but I’m saying that Otis’s longevity is impressive. Especially when the miniseries got here out, Otis and Dennis were the one guys left. He mainly needed to outlive Dennis by one other 20 years to find a way to say, “After all, they’re just coming to see me, Otis.”

By all accounts, Otis Williams looks as if an awesome guy. I’ve listened to countless interviews with him, and he’s an awesome storyteller who speaks highly of everyone within the band. But I’m wondering if he’s ever, within the quiet of a room, alone before he goes on stage, said to himself, “They’re coming to see Otis tonight.” I do know I might. Maybe he’s got good genes. Maybe he’s been maintaining a healthy diet for a long time and that is what’s kept him going. I’m sure it’s a mixture of luck, healthy habits, and the life he’s chosen. But after watching the Michael Jordan documentary The Last Dance , which exposed his ultimate competitiveness and pettiness, you could have to wonder if sometimes these guys whose talent and determination prove they’re built in a different way don’t have anything to prove and might’t rest until they do.

Sure, “Ain’t nobody coming to see you, Otis” is a line from the show, however it’s taken on a lifetime of its own. I can’t let you know how again and again I’ve said it to people I do know and random strangers. It’s a component of black popular culture. I’m wondering if Otis didn’t pass though all of them to prove David fallacious. Who knows if David ever said it (apart from Otis)? Either way, Otis William remains to be alive, concert events and performances and when you plan on watching The Temptations in 2024…

…you will certainly see Otis.