All About David
David Eli Ruffin was born in Whynot, Mississippi, near Meridian, on January 18, 1941. His mother died in childbirth, and was raised by his minister father, Eli Ruffin. David, Eli, and David's brothers lived in poverty. Eli remarried, this time to a schoolteacher. David was a natural-born singer. He sang gospel in his teens, with the Dixie Nightingales, then joined the Voice Masters, a doo wop group that his cousin Melvin Franklin belonged to as well. When the Voice Masters disbanded (and some became the Originals), David was about to start his solo career. He started playing drums for the Temptations, but when Al Bryant was dismissed from the group, he became the sixth Temptation in 1963. The first song he lead, "My Girl" became a smash hit, followed by tohusands of other gems.
In 1968, David left the Temptations and went solo. His solo career was relatively successful, but never reached his full potential. In 1982, he joined the Temptations for the reunion tour, but this reunion lineup of Temptations were unable to keep it together, so once again, David was on his own. He teamed up with former Temptation Eddie Kendricks. The two of them recorded as a duo before another ex-Tempt, Dennis Edwards, joined them in the late 80s.
David, Eddie, and Dennis never really got a chance to record much, but they consistently toured and did concerts and shows, including the Street Gold video. In 1991, David died. The cause of his death is often debated, but the true fans, lovers, and admirers of David Ruffin know he didn't die of a drug overdose. David had been clean for almost a year when he died.
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