Richard Street
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Richard Street (born Richard Allen Street, October 5, 1942 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American soul and R&B singer, most notable as a member of The Temptations from 1971 to 1993. Street was the first member of the Temptations to actually be a native of Detroit; all of the previous members were born and at least partially raised in the southern United States.
Street was the lead singer of an early Temptations predecessor, Otis Williams & the Distants, and takes the spotlight on their local hit "Come On". The Distants also included future Temptations Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, and Elbridge "Al" Bryant, who left The Distants and their record deal with Johnnie Mae Matthews' Northern Records to form The Elgins (later The Temptations) with Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams. After their departure, Matthews had Street briefly lead a new Distants group in the early 1960s.
During the mid-1960s, Street performed with a Motown act called The Monitors, who had only one minor hit, 1966's "Greetings (This is Uncle Sam)", to its name. By the late-1960s, Street was being called upon to travel with The Temptations and sing Paul Williams' parts from off-stage, while Williams, who suffered from both alcoholism and sickle-cell disease, danced and lip-synched onstage. Street officially replaced Williams in mid-1971, after both he and Eddie Kendricks left the group.
A number of the Temptations' best-selling hits feature Street's lead vocals, including "Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)" (1971), "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" (1972), "Masterpiece" (1973), and his featured solo, "Hey Girl (I Like Your Style)" (1973). He and old Distants bandmates Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin endured a number of lineup changes over the two decades Street was a Temptation, during which time Dennis Edwards, Ricky Owens, Damon Harris, Glenn Leonard, Louis Price, Ron Tyson, and Ali-Ollie Woodson all served as members of the group at various times.
According to Street's own website, he left the group after the "family feeling" of the Temptations deteriorated. In 1993, Street entered the hospital to have seventeen kidney stones removed. Group leader Otis Williams was not informed of Street's condition, and an angry Williams called Street, demanding to know why he missed his last performance. Street felt that Williams seemed to show a lack of concern, and decided to move on. Richard Street continues to tour and perform as a solo artist to this day. At times, he performs as a duo with former Temptations bandmate Damon Harris, who had joined the group at about the same time he did.
Street was married to The Velvelettes' lead singer Carolyn "Cal" Gill from 1969 to 1983. They have one son, Richard, Jr.
According to his website, former lead Richard Street is in the process of writing a book regarding his time with The Temptations entitled "Ball of Confusion" (referring to the song made famous by the group which he did not appear on as he would not join The Temptations until 1971, the year after it was released). If it is published, it will be the 2nd autobiography regarding The Temptations (the first being Otis Williams book "Temptations").
