Otis Williams

Otis Williams (born October 30, 1941 in Texarkana , Texas ; actually Otis Miles, Jr. ) is an American tenor and baritone singer. He also worked as a songwriter and producer. Williams is the leader of the group The Temptations , which he co-founded in March 1961 from the group The Elgins .

Life

The early years

Williams (real name: Otis Miles) was born in Texarkana, Texas. His parents were Hazel Louise and Otis Miles . Williams grew up mostly with his grandmother in Texarkana, Texas. At the age of 10, he moved to Detroit with his mother and new stepfather, Edgar. Since that time he has used his mother's (Williams) surname as his own.

Career

Williams became increasingly interested in music as a teenager and was a member of several vocal groups such as Otis Williams and the Siberians , the El Domingoes , and The Distants . The Distants had a regional hit (Come on) written by Williams and manager and producer Johnnie Mae Matthews. The lyrics to the song were written by Richard Street . Subsequent recordings of the Distants were less successful. After an offer from Berry Gordy of Motown Records , he and his band members Elbridge "Al" Bryant and Melvin Franklin disbanded the group. Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams later joined the group and formed The Elgins . In March 1961 they signed a recording deal with Motown under their new name The Temptations .

The Temptations eventually became the most successful group in the black music category in their nearly fifty-year career. During this time, notable singers were part of the group such as: David Ruffin , Dennis Edwards , formerly Distant Richard Street , Damon Harris , Ron Tyson , Ali-Ollie Woodson , Theo Peoples , Ray Davis and GC Cameron . The members of the group changed frequently and there was a lot of trouble within the group, so Williams and Melvin Franklin promised each other that they would never leave the group. Franklin was a member of the group until 1994 when he was unable to perform due to illness. He died on February 23, 1995, leaving Otis Williams as the sole founding member of the Temptations .

Williams wrote the book The Temptations together with Patricia Romanowski in 1988 , which describes his autobiography and at the same time the history of the Temptations . The book was filmed as a mini-series by NBC in 1998 .

Williams rarely sings as the lead vocalist in the group, focusing more on the role of organizer, leader and backing vocalist for the group. Released in 1967, the Temptations song Don't Send Me Away is one of the few songs in which Williams appeared as lead singer.

Private life

Williams married Josephine Rogers in 1961. In the same year their son Otis Lamont Williams was born. After Otis and Josephine Williams divorced in 1964, he met with Florence Ballard of the Supremes , and had a relationship with R&B singer Patti LaBelle.

Williams was married to Ann Cain from 1967 to 1973, and married his current wife, Goldie, in 1983. His son Otis Lamont, a construction worker, died in an accident at work in 1983.

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personal data
SURNAME	Williams, Otis
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Miles, Otis junior (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American tenor and baritone singer
DATE OF BIRTH	October 30, 1941
PLACE OF BIRTH	Texarkana , Texas, United States