The Five Heartbeats is a feature film directed by Robert Townsend, who also stars in the film with Michael Wright, Leon Robinson, Harry J. Lennix, Tico Wells, Harold Nicholas of the Nicholas Brothers, and Diahann Carroll. Robert Townsend (born February 6, 1957 in Chicago, Illinois) is an African American film director, writer, and actor. ... Robert Townsend (born February 6, 1957 in Chicago, Illinois) is an African American film director, writer, and actor. ... Keenen Ivory Wayans (born June 8, 1958 in New York City, New York, USA) is an American actor, comedian, director and writer. ... Robert Townsend (born February 6, 1957 in Chicago, Illinois) is an African American film director, writer, and actor. ... Michael Wright (born April 30, 1961 in New York City, New York) is an American film and television actor . ... Leon Preston Robinson IV (born March 8, 1962) is an American actor and singer. ... Harry Joseph Lennix (born November 16, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American actor. ... Harold Nicholas (March 27, 1921 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina - July 3, 2000 New York) youngest brother of the tap dancing pair The Nicholas Brothers. ... Diahann Carroll, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1955 Diahann Carroll (born July 17, 1935) is an American actress and singer. ... Stanley Clarke (born 30 June 1951) is an American musician and composer known for his innovative and influential work on double bass and bass guitar as well as his numerous film and television scores. ... Twentieth (20th) Century Fox Film Corporation (known from 1935 to 1985 as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation) is one of the six major American film studios. ... is the 88th day of the year (89th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A reel of film, which predates digital cinematography. ... Robert Townsend (born February 6, 1957 in Chicago, Illinois) is an African American film director, writer, and actor. ... Michael Wright (born April 30, 1961 in New York City, New York) is an American film and television actor . ... Leon Preston Robinson IV (born March 8, 1962) is an American actor and singer. ... Harry Joseph Lennix (born November 16, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American actor. ... Harold Nicholas (March 27, 1921 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina - July 3, 2000 New York) youngest brother of the tap dancing pair The Nicholas Brothers. ... The Nicholas Brothers were a famous American tap dance pair of brothers. ... Diahann Carroll, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1955 Diahann Carroll (born July 17, 1935) is an American actress and singer. ...

The film depicts, through the eyes of singer Donald "Duck" Matthews (Townsend), the rise and fall of a Motown-esque fictitious soul music quintet, from their beginnings as a doo wop group in New York City in 1965, to their rise to the top of the music scene in the late-1960s, to their demise in 1972. It was released to theatres by 20th Century Fox. Duck serves as the group's songwriter; its other members include lead singer Eddie King, Jr. (Wright), Duck's brother J.T. Matthews (Leon), high tenor Anthony "Choirboy" Stone (Wells), and bass singer Terrance "Dresser" Williams (Lennix). Motown Records, Inc. ... Fictional groups that also existed - See also - External links 16Buttons Of Justice - Waterman 4-Evah - For Better or For Worse 5 Neat Guys - SCTV 4 Skore - King of the Hill 2001: A New Wave Godessy - Mr. ... For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ... A quintet is a formation containing five members. ... For the Lauryn Hill single, see Doo Wop (That Thing). ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Twentieth (20th) Century Fox Film Corporation (known from 1935 to 1985 as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation) is one of the six major American film studios. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... This article is about Tenor vocalists in music. ... A basso (or bass) is a male singer who sings in the lowest vocal range of the human voice. ...

Since The Five Heartbeats is about a musical group, the film features a significant amount of original music, including songs such as "The Heart is a House for Love", "We Haven't Finished Yet" (written and sung by Duck and his sister in their bedroom), and the Heartbeats' signature song, "Nothing But Love".

"The Heart is a House for Love" was recorded as a single for the film's soundtrack by the Dells, who served as consultants on the film and provided memoirs for Townsend to adapt for the Heartbeats. The single version of "The Heart is a House for Love" reached number 13 on the R&B charts in the United States in 1992. The Dells are one of the longest standing R&B groups; formed in 1952 in Chicago, Illinois, and still going as of 2005. ... Rhythm and blues (or R & B) is a musical marketing term introduced in the United States in the late 1940s by Billboard magazine. ... See also: 1992 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1992 Record labels established in 1992 // 1992 was a pivotal year in the development of music. ...

In 1993 the film was given the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers award for "Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures" for the song "Nights Like This". The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) is an organization known as a collecting society that protects copyright, ensuring that music which is broadcast, commercially recorded, or otherwise used for profit, pays a fee to compensate the creators of that music. ...

References to real-life soul acts

Besides the direct inspiration from the Dells, the story of The Five Heartbeats is loosely based upon those of a number of other classic soul performers:

• Jackie Wilson: like Bird (played by Roy Fegan) of the Falcons in this film, Wilson was once dangled out of a window for asking about his royalties and trying to leave his label.
• The Temptations: lead singer David Ruffin (who was later played by Leon in a television miniseries) developed a cocaine addiction and became difficult to work with, leading to his replacement by Dennis Edwards. In The Five Heartbeats, Eddie King is the Ruffin-like figure, and is replaced by Michael "Flash" Turner (played by John Canada Terrell).
• The Isley Brothers: the cover to their 1966 Motown album, This Old Heart of Mine, featured on its cover a portrait of a framed white couple instead of the African American men in the group. While pandering and discriminatory, this was apparently in an attempt to reach a wider audience. The same situation befalls the Five Heartbeats in this film. J.T. loudly challenges the decision: "I ain't never seen five niggers on Elvis Presley's album cover!"

In some ways, The Five Heartbeats is a "male version" of the Broadway play Dreamgirls, as Dreamgirls is loosely based upon the history of the Supremes. For the British author, see Jacqueline Wilson. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... “Temptations” redirects here. ... 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. ... For other uses, see Cocaine (disambiguation). ... 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. ... The Isley Brothers (IPA: ) are an African-American music group from Cincinnati, Ohio, who hold the record for being the longest-running charted group in music history. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... This Old Heart of Mine is a 1966 album released by The Isley Brothers on the Tamla (Motown) label. ... The term white American (often used interchangeably and incorrectly with Caucasian American[2] and within the United States simply white[3]) is an umbrella term that refers to people of European descent residing in the United States. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... // Nigger is a racial slur used to refer to dark-skinned people, especially those of African ancestry. ... Elvis redirects here. ... Dreamgirls is a Broadway musical, which opened on December 20, 1981 at the Imperial Theatre. ... For other uses, see Supremes (disambiguation). ...

External links

• The Five Heartbeats at the Internet Movie Database