Elbridge Bryant

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Elbridge "Al" Bryant (born September 28, 1939 in Thomasville , Georgia , † October 26, 1975 in Flagler County , Florida ) was an American tenor singer and founding member of The Temptations .

life and career

Bryant was born in Thomasville, Georgia. He later moved to Detroit , where he met Otis Williams and with whom he played in various groups such as Otis Williams & the Siberians , The El Domingoes and The Distants , before joining The Elgins in 1961 with Melvin Franklin and the Primes singers Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams founded. After the group got a recording deal with Motown , it was renamed The Temptations .

In the Temptations' studio recordings, Paul Williams and Kendricks mostly sang the lead part, while Otis Williams, Franklin and Bryant mostly sang the background part. At that time they also appeared as backing vocalists for other Motown stars such as Mary Wells and Marvin Gaye .

During their first two years at Motown, the group recorded a total of seven singles, only one of which, Dream Come True , made it to the R&B charts at number 22. Due to the group's lack of success in the early days, Bryant continued to work as a milkman to earn a living.

By 1963, Bryant became increasingly unpredictable. He beat Paul Williams to hospital during an argument with a beer bottle. The group initially decided to give Bryant one more chance. However, at a Christmas party, another argument broke out on stage, which eventually led to Bryant being replaced by David Ruffin .

After his release from the Temptations, he joined various singing groups in Detroit , including The Premiers .

He died of cirrhosis of the liver in Florida on October 26, 1975 .

Elbridge Bryant was buried in Thomas Cemetery in Brantley County , Georgia , USA .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars: Heroin, Handguns, and Ham Sandwiches, by Jeremy Simmonds . books.google.de. Retrieved December 26, 2009.
  2. ^ The Distants at allmusic.com . www.allmusic.com. Retrieved December 26, 2009.

literature

  • Williams, Otis and Romanowski, Patricia (1988, updated 2002). Temptations . Lanham, MD: Cooper Square. ISBN 081-541218-5 .

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Bryant, Elbridge
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Bryant, Al; Bryant, Albridge; Bryant, El
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American tenor singer
DATE OF BIRTH September 28, 1939
PLACE OF BIRTH Thomasville, Georgia, United States
DATE OF DEATH October 26, 1975
Place of death Flagler County , Florida , United States