Dennis Edwards of the Temptations, Dead at 74
Dennis Edwards of the legendary Motown group, The Temptations, has passed away at the age of 74. Edwards was the lead singer of the The Temptations after replacing David Ruffin in 1968. Edwards’ booking agent, Rosiland Tiche Roberts confirmed Edwards’ passing on February 1, 2018 after suffering from an undisclosed illness for a long time.
Edwards sang with the group on and off for twenty years and his vocals were on many songs including “Papa Was a Rolling Stone”. Edwards, along with the rest of The Temptations, were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.
In the 1990’s, Otis Williams, one of the original founding members, sued Edwards for trademark infringement after he used the name “The New Temptations”. Edwards was allowed to use “The Temptations Review featuring Dennis Edwards”.
Smokey Robinson made a statement saying he was saddened “that another Motown soldier is gone. Rest in Peace my brother. You were a great talent.”
Edwards was survived by his wife Brenda and would have celebrated his 75th birthday on February 10th.
