der68
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Post by der68 on Jan 6, 2004 13:35:37 GMT -5
Thanx Molly. David did love to talk didn't he yall?
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Post by Queenie on Jan 6, 2004 19:52:02 GMT -5
More New about beloved David...
Date: 06/17/1991; Publication: People Weekly
I've got sunshine
On a cloudy day,
When it's cold outside
I've got the month of May . . .
-- "My Girl"
AH, THE TEMPTATIONS, GLIDING across the stage in their dazzling mohair suits and spreading the balm of sweet-soul pop over the abrasive '60s. Led by David Ruffin's gorgeous, gospel-trained voice, the Temptations carried the Motown banner on up the music charts with hits like "The Way You Do the Things You Do," "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" and, of course, "My Girl," the classic love song of the Big Chill era.
The heart and soul of that music died early on June 1 after a limousine drove up to a Philadelphia hospital emergency room. The driver reportedly told attendants, "He's in bad shape. He was with the Temptations. His name is David Ruffin," then sped away.
It was indeed Ruffin, 50, who died an hour later. At first friends suspected foul play. A well-known night prowler, Ruffin had apparently collapsed at a crack house several hours earlier with up to $40,000 on him -- proceeds from a recent European tour. Though the money was missing when he arrived at the hospital, the coroner found no evidence of injury and ruled his death an accidental drug overdose.
Ruffin's passing surprised no one close to him. His aunt Lillie Ruffin said flatly, "I'm not shocked. I knew he was using too much drugs." Added Lee Marcus, a drummer who toured with Ruffin in the mid-'80s: "He had a big heart; he was a kind man. But he just had something that was eating him up inside."
No one ever quite knew just what that something was. Born Davis Eli Ruffin in Meridian, Miss., Ruffin moved to Detroit in the late '50s. Changing his name to David, he cut a few unsuccessful singles for Anna Records, owned by a sister of Motown godfather Berry Gordy, and met Temptations cofounder Otis Williams. As the legend goes, David jumped onstage with the group one night and brought the house down by flipping the microphone into the air, spinning, catching it, then collapsing in a split.
That trademark routine would be seen thousands of times after Ruffin joined the Temptations in 1963. With his striking, raspy baritone and Eddie Kendrick's lyrical tenor, the Temps rolled out 16 Top 40 singles in four years before the clash of egos began to unravel their exquisitely stitched seams.
Ruffin left in 1968 to go solo. By then he had already served one stint in a drug-rehabilitation center; a sad string of arrests and failed rehab attempts would follow over the next two decades. Still, in 1989 he and former Temps Kendrick and Dennis Edwards mended fences and resumed touring together. At his death, "He was making money and working steady," said his ex-wife, Sandra, of the father of four. "The only downfall he had was the drugs. He was really trying, but after 24 years with the drugs, he just couldn't conquer it." Even so, she added, "he never lost his voice."
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der68
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Post by der68 on Jan 6, 2004 20:05:19 GMT -5
Thank you so much NDF. Unfourtunately I wasn't suprised either. Thank you for this honest article.
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molly
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Post by molly on Jan 6, 2004 20:50:06 GMT -5
Thanx Molly, I enjoyed reading the article. Good read! Thank you CP. Can't you see Ruff taking over the interview?
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molly
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Post by molly on Jan 6, 2004 20:57:29 GMT -5
Thank you New! I think that is the first interview I read about David's death where Sandra was interviewed.
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Common
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Post by Common on Jan 7, 2004 9:09:31 GMT -5
More New about beloved David... It was indeed Ruffin, 50, who died an hour later. At first friends suspected foul play. A well-known night prowler, Ruffin had apparently collapsed at a crack house several hours earlier with up to $40,000 on him -- proceeds from a recent European tour. Though the money was missing when he arrived at the hospital, the coroner found no evidence of injury and ruled his death an accidental drug overdose. Ruffin's passing surprised no one close to him. His aunt Lillie Ruffin said flatly, "I'm not shocked. I knew he was using too much drugs." Added Lee Marcus, a drummer who toured with Ruffin in the mid-'80s: "He had a big heart; he was a kind man. But he just had something that was eating him up inside." Ruffin left in 1968 to go solo. By then he had already served one stint in a drug-rehabilitation center; a sad string of arrests and failed rehab attempts would follow over the next two decades. Still, in 1989 he and former Temps Kendrick and Dennis Edwards mended fences and resumed touring together. At his death, "He was making money and working steady," said his ex-wife, Sandra, of the father of four. "The only downfall he had was the drugs. He was really trying, but after 24 years with the drugs, he just couldn't conquer it." Even so, she added, "he never lost his voice." NDF - Thank you so much for this article. I've never read this one before & to echo molly, this is the first time I've ever read a statement from Sandra. I editted it because these 3 paragraphs particularly caught my interest. I'm sure his family suspected foul play at first but the sad conclusion was that he died of an overdose. After all those years of drug abuse, it finally took his life. Look at Bobby Hatfield of the Righteous Brothers, where the coroner shocked everyone with the fact that he, too, died of a cocaine overdose & advanced coronary disease because of his abuse of the drug. What also caught my attention was the article was slightly inaccurate when it mentioned that David had "mended" fences with Eddie & Dennis. That wasn't true. They were friends for years, especially Eddie & David. And what got me is what Lee Marcus said that something had been eating him up inside that fueled his addiction. I've always believed that people who used drugs were always trying to fill up a broken heart or some other trauma event in life. I don't think people who addicts enjoy being one. This article just confirms it for me. Thanks again, NDF!
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molly
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Post by molly on Jan 7, 2004 10:20:54 GMT -5
Common let me "echo" your sentiments. David,Eddie,and Dennis were not at odds. It has been written in error that David had a problem being replaced with DE. They were friends,and had a mutual respect for each other. Also I have always believed {even in his hay day} that David had past hurts that helped mold him. Common we have discussed this many times. Again let me say Thank you for the article.
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Post by Queenie on Jan 8, 2004 5:21:43 GMT -5
One thing about our beloved David he always kept it real!!
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Common
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Post by Common on Jan 8, 2004 11:49:56 GMT -5
NDF- He sure did. As much as he was the showman wherever he went, he seemed to down to earth & enjoyed people. There have been alot of things that have been written about David that have been the total opposite of what people here have said about them. Unfortunately, it's the negative stuff that gets the most play. Molly- Yes we've had discussions about David & the demons that kept chasing him. I also feel that all those hurts made David one of the great soul singers of the era. He just had a way of getting under your skin, no matter if the records weren't up to par. That was a wonderful gift that he possessed.
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Evita
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Post by Evita on Jan 8, 2004 13:04:12 GMT -5
Thank you NDF. This was a nice article. Thank you so much. This is the first time, I've read one where Sandra made a statement.
Thanks again....
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Common
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Post by Common on Jan 8, 2004 16:33:26 GMT -5
BOT!!
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molly
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Post by molly on Jan 8, 2004 21:01:58 GMT -5
I want to post once more in this thread. The article New posted has answered some questions for me. I had heard David's family still had questions regarding his death. I am so pleased to know that this is not true. I had never seen Sandra Ruffin quoted regarding this subject until that article. Knowng Sandra and his daughters were given more informaton than the general public. I am satisfied that she made this statement based on factual information. Contrary to the way she was depicted in genna's book. Sandra is an intelligent woman, and I know she asked or directed her daughters to ask the hard questions about Davd's death. It was hard for me to believe that this lady would have accepted the news without the benefit of evidence. She said correctly "he never lost his voice"Thanks again New!
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molly
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Post by molly on Jan 8, 2004 21:07:11 GMT -5
NDF- He sure did. As much as he was the showman wherever he went, he seemed to down to earth & enjoyed people. There have been alot of things that have been written about David that have been the total opposite of what people here have said about them. Unfortunately, it's the negative stuff that gets the most play. Molly- Yes we've had discussions about David & the demons that kept chasing him. I also feel that all those hurts made David one of the great soul singers of the era. He just had a way of getting under your skin, no matter if the records weren't up to par. That was a wonderful gift that he possessed. Common I agree. I believe David's past played a huge part in the way he expressed himself in song!
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Common
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Post by Common on Jan 9, 2004 9:08:20 GMT -5
I want to post once more in this thread. The article New posted has answered some questions for me. I had heard David's family still had questions regarding his death. I am so pleased to know that this is not true. I had never seen Sandra Ruffin quoted regarding this subject until that article. Knowng Sandra and his daughters were given more informaton than the general public. I am satisfied that she made this statement based on factual information. Contrary to the way she was depicted in genna's book. Sandra is an intelligent woman, and I know she asked or directed her daughters to ask the hard questions about Davd's death. It was hard for me to believe that this lady would have accepted the news without the benefit of evidence. She said correctly "he never lost his voice"Thanks again New! Molly, I was glad that Sandra mentioned that David didn't lose his voice. In the Motown book I have from '86, it stated that David's voice had became a "hoarse whisper". I, having no knowledge about David at the time, thought this was factual. When someone, who was kind enough, sent me Dancin In The Street, I was shocked! David's voice was in pristine condition. It only made me realize just how much misinformation & gossip there is about David that needed to be cleared up.
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molly
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Post by molly on Jan 9, 2004 10:37:16 GMT -5
Molly, I was glad that Sandra mentioned that David didn't lose his voice. In the Motown book I have from '86, it stated that David's voice had became a "hoarse whisper". I, having no knowledge about David at the time, thought this was factual. When someone, who was kind enough, sent me Dancin In The Street, I was shocked! David's voice was in pristine condition. It only made me realize just how much misinformation & gossip there is about David that needed to be cleared up. Ruffin could sang to the end. Now I have heard some cuts where the song wasn't that good,but David's vocals were. There were/is a lot of st8 up lies told about David,and his family. The "death" controversy is a perfect example.
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