Quotes
 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. 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.
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.
[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."
[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."
"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
Trivia
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.
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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.
(imdb.com)
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.
(imdb.com)
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.
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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.
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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".
(imdb.com)
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.
(imdb.com)
Is portrayed by Leon in The Temptations biographical miniseries in 1998.
(imdb.com)
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.
(imdb.com)
Contrary to popular belief, he was not part of the original lineup of The Temptations. Ruffin replaced Elbridge "Al" Bryant in the group.
(imdb.com)
Member of The Temptations famous `Classic 5` line-up.
(imdb.com)
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.
(imdb.com)
Distant cousin of Melvin Franklin.
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Had four children Cheryl, Nedra, David jr, and Mone.
(imdb.com)
His father was a Baptist Minister.
(imdb.com)
Created the four-headed microphone.
(imdb.com)
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