Biography for
David Ruffin (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

18 January 1941, Wyanot, Mississippi, USA

Date of Death

1 June 1991, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA (drug overdose)

Birth Name

Davis Eli Ruffin

Nickname

Ruff

Height

6' 3" (1.91 m)

Mini Biography

The man most of us know by his unmistakable, calming yet disturbed raspy voice was born Davis Eli Ruffin on January 18, 1941, in Whynot, Mississippi, to Eli Ruffin, a Baptist minister. Only months after his birth. his mother Ophelia Ruffin died and his father remarried a schoolteacher. He began singing and touring at a very young age with his father and siblings in a gospel group. Leaving home at thirteen to pursue the ministry, it was David's select showmanship that caught the eyes of some in the secular music industry. He then moved to Detroit, Michigan, and was signed to the Anna label in 1960 and Check-Mate in 1961. Both releases were unsuccessful but showed his vocal ability and talent. In 1964, he joined the then "hitless" The Temptations. But all had changed by March of 1965 when David sang lead on the ever-popular classic "My Girl." The song stayed at number one for eight weeks, and the rest is history. The same showmanship that brought David into the R&B industry caught the eyes of fans around the world. David's stage performance was dynamic. His dramatic hand gestures and slipping out of chorus to fall to his knees wasn't all this tall, slender man wearing black-framed glasses could do. David's voice proved to be powerful as he went on to sing lead on hits that brought extreme joy and happiness in the turbulent times of the 1960s. These times also proved to be turbulent for The Temptations. Tensions raised when David asked for billing before the group name like the many groups of that time. Whether it was jealously or arrogance, David was dismissed from the group in 1968. Still under contract at Motown, his solo career got off to a promising start with the ballad "My Whole World Ended(The Moment You Left Me"). Some subsequent releases failed as did duets with his brother Jimmy. Few of the songs charted, and he blamed Motown for not properly promoting his music. In 1979, he left Motown and went to Warner Brothers where his career went into a complete decline. Following the reunion tour with The Temptations, he fell into obscurity for a bit. It was also around this time that his substance abuse and depression had been exposed. After reuniting with Eddie Kendricks (who was now also a solo artist) in 1986, they began touring and performing with Artist Against Apartheid, Live-Aid, and Hall & Oats. In 1989, Otis Williams were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and David and Eddie begin touring with ex-Temptation Dennis Edwards. Weeks after the tour ended, David was dropped off at a Philadelphia hospital and an hour later the man who sang the biographical tune "Statue Of a Fool" from every bit of his heart and soul was pronounced dead. While the official cause of death was ruled a cocaine overdose, the family of David Ruffin have good reason to believe foul play was involved. When the world lost David Ruffin, we lost a life too short lived, a heavenly voice, and a whimsical, charismatic man. He had one of the most recognizable voices in music. The joy and sadness in his songs can be felt by all. David's voice will continue to bridge the generation gap just as it crossed the color lines in the sixties and seventies. Legends are never forgotten and David Ruffin IS a musical LEGEND.

IMDb Mini Biography By: anonymous

Spouse

Sandra Ruffin	(2 March 1978 - 18 July 1984) (divorced)
Joy Hamilton	(April 1976 - ?) (divorced)

Trade Mark

Raspy tenor/baritone singing voice.

His black rimmed glasses.

His signature move during his performances was to spin around, tossing the microphone from one hand to the other, drop to the floor with a leg split, and then rise back up.

Trivia

Created the four-headed microphone.

Favorite actress was Sophia Loren.

His father was a Baptist Minister.

Favorite actor was Richard Burton.

Had four children Cheryl, Nedra, David jr, and Mone.

Brother of Jimmy Ruffin.

Distant cousin of Melvin Franklin.

Joined The Temptations in mid-January 1964, when he replaced Elbridge "Al" Bryant (aka Albridge Bryant), one of the group's three starring leads. In July 1968, he was replaced by Dennis Edwards, while he started a solo career.

Member of The Temptations famous 'Classic 5' line-up.

Contrary to popular belief, he was not part of the original lineup of The Temptations. Ruffin replaced Elbridge "Al" Bryant in the group.

The Temptations were voted the 67th Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Artists of all time by Rolling Stone.

According to Otis Williams, the founder and only surviving member of The Temptations original group, Ruffin was a very funny, colorful, good natured and hard working man when he first joined the group, but fame gave him a serious ego and attitude problem and a drug addiction made him a very erratic worker, which eventually led to him being fired from the group.

Is portrayed by Leon in The Temptations biographical miniseries in 1998.

Despite the ego and attitude problems he developed towards the end of his tenure with the Temptations -- which stayed with him for the remainder of his life despite his attempts to change - he always remained good friends with fellow The Temptations singer Eddie Kendricks, who later toured with Ruffin in the 1980s.

His older brother, singer Jimmy Ruffin, was offered the chance to sing with The Temptations, but he politely declined in favor of David, who went on to sing many of the classic 1960s Temptations songs, including "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep," "Ain't Too Proud to Beg," and the immortal "My Girl".

Angry and embittered at being fired from The Temptations, who he felt owed their success to him, he tried to sabotage the career of his replacement, Dennis Edwards, by showing up at The Temptations' concerts and, whenever they started to perform one of the songs Ruffin himself had once sung lead on, he would jump onto the stage, steal the microphone away from Edwards and start singing, much to the embarrassment of the group but to the delight of the fans. The Temptations later hired more security guards to keep him from entering their concerts.

Before he was fired from The Temptations, one of his requests was that the band's name be changed to "David Ruffin & The Temptations," in light of how The Supremes had their name changed to Diana Ross & The Supremes and, similarly, how the Miracles were known as Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, placing more emphasis on the lead singers. This was reportedly one of the reasons that he was eventually fired from the group.

Worked up such a sweat recording the song "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" that, according to Otis Williams, his glasses were falling off his face.

His first solo song, "My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me)," was originally intended for The Temptations when he was still the group's front man.

One of the first Motown artists who demanded regular accounting of the group's financial status, so as to know how the money was being handled, which caused friction between him and Motown founder Berry Gordy.

The Temptations were awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 7060 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

Was romantically linked to Tammi Terrell.

Personal Quotes

"We should not clap our hands and mourn, for he is out of trouble. You are still in it."-spoken by Minister Louis Farrakhan at David's funeral

[Talking about his 3 year absence following the 1982 Temptations reunion tour]: "Sometimes an artist is lost and needs to find a new direction for himself or his music."

[David's ex-wife, Sandra, describing his battle with cocaine]: "He always tried and always struggled with drugs. He was a wonderful person, but he was just outmatched by his addiction."

But they're just cheating the public now, People still expect Eddie, Paul and me when they see the Temptations. They are the voices they know although, in all honesty, Dennis Edwards can be considered a true Temptation.

At the beginning of the first couple of shows by myself, I'd be singing and then make a move as if to go into the background, but there wasn't any background. In the first couple of shows, that was missed. Now when I walk on . . . I have more room to walk.

Most of my life, I've been on my own, trying to do my thing. Everybody has to go out and face the reality of life. That's what everybody's got to do, do you own thing. Strength is your own thing.

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