Elbridge Bryant
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Elbridge "AL" Bryant (September 28, 1939 - October 26, 1975) was an African American/Native American tenor singer, one of the founding members of Motown singing group The Temptations.
Bryant (nicknamed "AL" Or "Bones") was born in Thomasville, Georgia and later moved to Detroit, Michigan, where he met best friend Otis Williams. Williams and Bryant were in a number of groups together, including Otis Williams & the Siberians, the El Domingoes, and The Distants before forming The Elgins in 1961 with fellow Distant Melvin Franklin and Primes Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams. The Elgins would re-christen themselves as The Temptations before signing with Miracle Records, a subsidiary of Motown Records.
During the Temptations' first two years with Motown, they only scored one charting single, "Dream Come True", which hit #22 on the R&B charts. Their lack of success caused Bryant to become restless: he had a regular day job as a milkman, which he preferred to constantly performing and recording with the group.
By 1963, Bryant had become sometimes volatile and unpredictable to deal with. One mid-1963 backstage altercation between Bryant and Paul Williams resulted in the former smashing a beer bottle across the latter's face. After a second altercation onstage during Motown's 1963 company Christmas party, Bryant was fired from the group. By the New Year Of 1964, the Temptations had recruited David Ruffin as their new fifth member, and the group recorded what would be their first Top 20 pop hit, "The Way You Do the Things You Do".
After being fired from the Temptations, Bryant turned up in a number of other Detroit singing groups, including The Premiers, which reunited him with former Distants bandmate Pee Wee Crawford. Al Bryant died of cirrhosis of the liver in Flagler County, Florida on October 26, 1975 at the age of 36. He was married to Bobby Jean Bryant; she and their two daughters still live in the Detroit area.
Contents |
[edit] "A Member Of"
The Siberians, 1958-1959
The Distants, 1959-1960
The Elgins, 1960-1961
The Temptations, 1961-1964
[edit] "Discovering"
1958
All Of My Life
Peco's Kid
1959
Always
Alright
Come On
Open Up Your Heart
1961
Check Yourself
Oh Mother Of Mine
Romance Without Finance
Your Wonderful Love
1962
Camouflage
Dream Come True
I Couldn't Cry If I Wanted To
I'll Love You Still I Die
Isn't She Pretty
Mind Over Matter
My Pillow
Paradise
Slow Down Heart
Witcraft For Your Love
1963
Baby Baby I Need You
Farwell My Love
I Want A Love I Can See
May I Have This Dance
Talkin Bout Nobody But My Baby
The Further You Look, The Less You See
[edit] Recording Companies
Northern Records, 1959-1960
Motown Records, 1961-1964
[edit] Albums
Meet The Temptations, 1964
[edit] References
- Williams, Otis and Romanowski, Patricia (1988, updated 2002). Temptations. Lanham, MD: Cooper Square. ISBN 081-541218-5.
