Dennis Edwards
Dennis Edwards performs "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" with The Temptations, on the December 2, 1972 episode of Soul Train.
Background information
Born	February 3, 1943
Origin	Birmingham, Alabama, USA
Genre(s)	R&B, pop, soul, disco
Occupation(s)	Singer, dancer
Instrument(s)	Singing
Years active	1966 - present
Label(s)	Motown
Associated acts	The Temptations, Dennis Edwards & the Temptations Revue

Dennis Edwards (born February 3, 1943 in Birmingham, Alabama) is an American soul and R&B singer, most noted for being one of Motown act The Temptations' lead singers. Image File history File links Dennis-edwards-1972. ... Papa Was a Rollin Stone is a soul song, written by Motown songwriters Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong as a single for Motown act The Undisputed Truth in 1971. ... The Temptations (often abbreviated as The Tempts or The Temps) are an American Motown singing group whose repertoire has included doo-wop, soul, psychedelia, funk, disco, R&B, and adult contemporary. ... December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Soul Train is a long-running American music-related syndicated television program. ... February 3 is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... Nickname: The Magic City, Pittsburgh of the South, BHam, The Ham Location in Jefferson County in the state of Alabama Coordinates: Country United States State Alabama County Jefferson, Shelby Mayor Bernard Kincaid (D) Area    - City 393. ... A music genre is a category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain style or basic musical language (van der Merwe 1989, p. ... Rhythm and blues (or R & B) is a musical marketing term introduced in the United States in the late 1940s by Billboard magazine. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The soul, acording to many religious and philosophical traditions, is a self-aware ethereal substance particular to a unique living being. ... This article is becoming very long. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, which is often contrasted with speech. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Motown Records, Inc. ... The Temptations (often abbreviated as The Tempts or The Temps) are an American Motown singing group whose repertoire has included doo-wop, soul, psychedelia, funk, disco, R&B, and adult contemporary. ... February 3 is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... Nickname: The Magic City, Pittsburgh of the South, BHam, The Ham Location in Jefferson County in the state of Alabama Coordinates: Country United States State Alabama County Jefferson, Shelby Mayor Bernard Kincaid (D) Area    - City 393. ... For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ... Rhythm and blues (or R & B) is a musical marketing term introduced in the United States in the late 1940s by Billboard magazine. ... Motown Records, Inc. ... The Temptations (often abbreviated as The Tempts or The Temps) are an American Motown singing group whose repertoire has included doo-wop, soul, psychedelia, funk, disco, R&B, and adult contemporary. ...

A member of The Contours during the late-1960s, Edwards soon replaced David Ruffin as lead singer of The Temptations in 1968 after Ruffin was fired for what has been deemed unprofessional behavior. With his gospel-hewn vocals, Edwards led the group through its psychedelic, funk, and disco periods; two of the Temptations songs he apperars on, "Cloud Nine" and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", won Grammy Awards. The Contours were one of the early soul singing groups signed to Motown Records. ... David Ruffin (Davis Eli Ruffin) (January 18, 1941 – June 1, 1991) was an American soul singer most famous for his work as lead singer of The Temptations from 1964 to 1968. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... Psychedelic music may refer to: Psychedelic rock, a subgenre of rock Psychedelic trance, a subgenre of trance Psychedelic folk, a subgenre of folk Psychedelic pop, a subgenre of pop Psychedelic soul, a subgenre of soul See also Acid breaks Acid house Acid jazz Acid punk Acid rap Acid rock Acid... Funk is an African American musical style. ... This article is becoming very long. ... Cloud Nine is a 1968 hit song recorded by The Temptations for the Motown label. ... Papa Was a Rollin Stone is a soul song, written by Motown songwriters Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong as a single for Motown act The Undisputed Truth in 1971. ... Grammy Award statuette The Grammy Awards, presented by the Recording Academy (an association of Americans professionally involved in the recorded music industry) for outstanding achievements in the recording industry, is one of four major music awards shows held annually in the United States (the Billboard Music Awards, the American Music...

When "Papa" was first presented to the group, Edwards angrily refused to sing the first verse, because his father had actually died on September 3, just like the father portrayed in the song. He was greatly offended by this coincidence and accused songwriters Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong of deliberately assigning him the verse. They denied that the lyric assignment was intentional. September 3 is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Norman Whitfield Norman Jesse Whitfield (born in Harlem, New York in 1943) was a songwriter and producer for Berry Gordys Motown label during the 1960s. ... Barrett Strong (born February 5, 1941 in West Point, Mississippi) is an African-American singer and songwriter. ...

Edwards remained in the Temptations until being fired by Otis Williams in 1977 just before the group's departure from Motown to Atlantic Records. After a failed attempt at a Motown solo career, Edwards rejoined the Temptations in 1980, when they returned to Motown. Otis Williams (second from right), with the Temptations in 1967. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... Atlantic Records (Atlantic Recording Corporation) is an American record label that operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Music Group. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ...

In 1982, Edwards got the chance to sing with Ruffin when Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks were part of the Reunion album and tour. Edwards began missing shows and rehearsals, and was replaced in 1984 by Ali-Ollie Woodson. At this time, Motown launched Edwards' solo career, and he had a hit with the 1984 single "Don't Look Any Further", a duet with Siedah Garrett. When problems arose between Woodson and the Temptations in 1987, Edwards was brought back once again, but was re-replaced by Woodson in 1989 after being fired a third and final time by Otis Williams. 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Eddie Kendricks, on the cover of his 1981 album Love Keys. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ali=Ollie Woodson (far right in middle row, in red shirt) on the cover of the 1984 Temptations LP Truly for You. ... Siedah Garrett (born June 24, 1960 in Los Angeles California) is an African American R&B singer and songwriter whose hits include Dont Look Any Further with Dennis Edwards (#72 pop, #2 R&B in 1984) and K.I.S.S.I.N.G. (#97 in 1988). ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Edwards toured and recorded with fellow ex-Temptations David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks during the late-1980s as "Ruffin/Kendrick/Edwards, Former Leads of The Temptations". After the deaths of both Ruffin and Kendrick, Edwards was forced to wrap up the project alone. During the 1990s, Edwards began touring under the name "Dennis Edwards & the Temptations", prompting a legal battle between himself and Otis Williams. It was decided that Edwards' group would be called "The Temptations Revue featuring Dennis Edwards", the name that Edwards tours under to this day. Edwards' current group includes former Temptation Ali-Ollie Woodson, David Sea, Mike Patillo, and Chris Arnold. Eddie Kendricks, on the cover of his 1981 album Love Keys. ... The 1980s refers to the years of 1980 to 1989. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ...

Edwards was portrayed by Charles Ley in the 1998 The Temptations biographical miniseries, though he was not heavily focused upon, as the miniseries which gave more attention to the Ruffin-era Temptations line up. The Temptations was a four-hour television miniseries broadcast in two-hour halves on NBC, based upon the history of one of Motown’s longest-lived acts, The Temptations. ...