Kendricks' solo career began slowly; he endured two years of singles that missed the Top 40, while The Temptations continued with their string of Norman Whitfield-helmed hits (one of which, "Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)", was written as a jab towards Kendricks and Ruffin). Despite enjoying only a modicum of commercial success and radio airplay, Kendricks's 1972 album People... Hold On (with the aid of his touring group, The Young Senators: Jimi Dougans, Frank Hooker, LeRoy Fleming, Wornell Jones, David Lecraft, James Drumer Johnson and John Engram) was a cornerstone of DJ playlists in downtown New York's nascent disco scene. The expansive, eight minute take on "Girl, You Need A Change Of Mind", which peaked at number thirteen on the soul chart, from the album was a particular favorite at David Mancuso's Loft. The single was later remade by R&B singer D'Angelo for the Get on the Bus Soundtrack. As the dance craze seeped through into other cities, Kendricks scored a #1 pop hit in 1973 with the Frank Wilson-produced "Keep on Truckin'". It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. Future hits included "Boogie Down" (US #2) (1974) and another million selling release,[3] "Son of Sagittarius" (US #28) (1974), "Shoeshine Boy" (US #18) (1975), and "He's a Friend" (US #36) (1976). Another notable song is "Intimate Friends" (1977), which is sampled for the Alicia Keys song "Unbreakable", "A Penny for My Thoughts" by Common, Sparkle's "Time to Move on" on her self-titled first studio album and Sweet Sable's "Old Time's Sake" from the soundtrack for the 1994 2pac film, Above the Rim. Erykah Badu also sampled "Intimate Friends" for her song "Fall in Love (Your Funeral)", as well as his song "My People... Hold on" for her song "My People" on her album New Amerykah Part One (4th World War).
Exasperated by a lack of creative and financial control, Kendricks left Motown in 1978, with the requirement of signing away the rights to his royalties. He moved first to Arista Records, and later to Atlantic Records. By this time, his popularity had waned, and he was also gradually losing his voice as a result of chain smoking.
He and David Ruffin briefly re-joined the Temptations for a 1982 reunion tour. In an interview with Tom Meros, Dennis Edwards, Kendricks's former Temptations band mate, claimed that Kendricks had issues hitting his falsetto notes during recording sessions for the reunion album. Because of his singing difficulty, Edwards said that Kendricks went to a physician to examine his vocal ability. The physician discovered a "pin drop" of cancer on one of his lungs. However, Kendricks reportedly refused to undergo chemotherapy at the time because of fear that he would lose his hair.
Ruffin and Kendrick (Kendricks dropped the "s" from his stage name during the 1980s) reportedly met up one night when Ruffin went to watch Kendrick perform in a nightclub; Kendrick spotted Ruffin in the crowd, pointed him out, and invited him to come up on stage and perform with him. Afterward they talked about touring on their own and recorded an album as a duo for RCA in 1988.
Earlier, in 1985, they participated in the Hall & Oates live album Live at The Apollo recorded at a benefit at New York City's Apollo Theater; and sang with the duo at Live Aid in Philadelphia and the MTV Video Music Awards in New York. Hall & Oates have cited Kendrick and Ruffin specifically, and the Temptations in general, as a major influence.
In 1989, Kendrick, Ruffin, and their Temptations bandmates were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. There, Kendrick and Ruffin made plans with fellow former Temptation Dennis Edwards to tour and record as "Ruffin/Kendrick/Edwards, Former Leads of The Temptations." The Ruffin/Kendrick/ Edwards project was cut short in 1991, when Kendrick was diagnosed with lung cancer and David Ruffin died of a drug overdose, although Kendrick and Edwards continued to tour for the remainder of 1991.
In late 1991, Kendrick, by now living in his native Birmingham, Alabama, underwent surgery to have one of his lungs removed in hopes of preventing the spread of the cancer. He continued to tour through the summer of 1992, when he fell ill again and was hospitalized. Kendrick died on October 5, 1992, of lung cancer in Birmingham at the age of 52. Kendrick is survived by his three children: Parris Kendrick, Aika Kendrick and Paul Kendrick. He was buried in Elmwood Cemetery.
In 1998, NBC aired The Temptations, a four-hour television miniseries based upon an autobiographical book by Otis Williams. Kendricks was portrayed by actor Terron Brooks.
Kendricks was born in on December 17, 1939, the son of Johnny and Lee Bell Kendrick. He had one sister, Patricia, and three brothers, Charles, Robert, and Clarence. His family moved to Birmingham, where he met and began singing with his best friend Paul Williams in their church choir in the late 1940s. In 1955, Kendricks, Williams, and friends Kell Osborne and Jerome Averette formed a doo-wop group called The Cavaliers, and began performing around Birmingham. The group decided to move for better opportunities in their musical careers, and in 1957 the group moved to Cleveland, Ohio. In Cleveland, they met manager Milton Jenkins, and soon moved with Jenkins to Detroit, Michigan, where the Cavaliers renamed themselves 'The Primes'. Under Jenkins' management, the Primes did well for themselves in the Detroit area, eventually creating a female spin-off group called The Primettes (later The Supremes). In 1961, Osbourne moved to California, and the Primes disbanded. Kendricks and Paul Williams joined forces with members Otis Williams and Melvin "Blue" Franklin of Otis Wiliiams and the Distants after three members quit and became The Elgins, who on the same day changed their name to "The Temptations" and signed to Motown.
The Temptations began singing background for Mary Wells. After an initial dry period, The Temptations quickly became the most successful male vocal group of the 1960s. Although technically Kendricks was first tenor in the group's harmony, he predominately sang in a falsetto voice. Among the Temptations songs Kendricks sang lead on were "Dream Come True" (1962), the group's first charting single; "The Way You Do the Things You Do" (1964), the group's first US Top 20 hit; "I'll Be in Trouble" (1964); "The Girl's Alright With Me" (1964), a popular b-side that Kendricks co-wrote; "Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)" (1964); "Get Ready" (1966); "Please Return Your Love to Me" (1968); and "Just My Imagination" (1971). He was also allowed to sing a few leads in his natural voice such as "May I Have This Dance" (1962). He shares lead vocal duty on other records, including "You're My Everything" (1967) (shared with David Ruffin), and a long string of Norman Whitfield produced psychedelic soul records where all five Temptations sang lead, such as the Grammy winner "Cloud Nine" (1968), "I Can't Get Next to You" (1969), and "Ball of Confusion" (1970). He also leads on "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" (1968), a popular duet with Diana Ross and the Supremes, and on the Temptations' famous version of the Christmas classic "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (1968).
In the Temptations, Kendricks was responsible for creating most of the group's vocal arrangements, and also served as wardrobe manager, including the now famous purple suits the group wore for one performance. He also co-wrote several Temptations songs apart from "The Girl's Alright With Me" including "Isn't She Pretty" (1961) and "Don't Send Me Away" (1967). His favorite food was cornbread, and as a result he was nicknamed "Cornbread" (or "Corn" for short) by his groupmates. According to Otis Williams, Kendricks romantically pursued Diana Ross, lead singer of the Supremes, and he was said to have been close friends with Martha Reeves of the Vandellas. In her second book, Supreme Faith, Supremes singer Mary Wilson writes that she and Kendricks were lovers "briefly," but remained close friends.
Kendricks remained in the group through the rest of the decade, but a number of issues began to push him away from it in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was uncomfortable with singing the psychedelic style that Whitfield was now crafting for the group as opposed to the romantic ballads they had sung under the direction of Smokey Robinson; his friend Paul Williams was often too ill to perform with the group; and Kendricks often found himself at odds with bandmates Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin. As he grew away from the group, Kendricks began to rekindle his friendship with ex-Temptation David Ruffin, who convinced him to leave the group.
In a 1991 interview with a Chicago television series called Urban Street, Kendricks said he had actually considered leaving the group as early as 1965, even though that was when the band was finally starting to take off, because of things that "weren't quite proper." He explained that they were working with people that "didn't have their best interests at heart." Kendricks, however, initially decided to stay in the group because he was worried he would not get the support he needed if he left the group. Kendricks also expressed the fact that his relationship with Berry Gordy was less than cordial. "Berry Gordy is a man I don't know, I only met him about three times," he said, but "I know he didn't particularly care for me." Kendricks stated that he did not agree with many decisions that were made.
Following one final altercation with Williams and Franklin during a run at the Copacabana nightclub in November 1970, Kendricks walked off after the first night and didn't return, and it was mutually decided he would leave the group. While working on his first solo album, Kendricks recorded one last hit single with the Temptations, 1971's "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)". By the time the record reached #1 on the US pop charts in April 1971, Kendricks had signed a solo deal with Motown's Tamla imprint and was preparing the release of his first solo album, All By Myself. However, many of his problems with Motown would reoccur.
Happy
Eddie Kendricks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I just wanna make you happy make you happy baby
Ain't too cloudy skies when trouble pressing depression should make you cry I will show you a better side where there's a rainbow shining just for your eyes
Happy gonna make you happy baby don't be sad and blue happy come just for you I will take your frown turn it up side down every, every care I'll chug away some where if a tear should fall down your pretty face it will be from happy let me make you happy baby
For your smile I'll be a clown I'll get my laugh bags and my funny shoes bring your heart and sit right down there is nothing I won't do just to make you happy
I just wanna make you happy baby I'm so close I feel your sorrow too when I'm see you cry my eyes won't stay dry ooooh, ooooh, ooooh, baby can't you I just wanna be I wanna be your happy
I wanna make you happy baby I want, want you in my arms be your blanket keep you safe and warm I want be your guiding light let me lead you down the path of light
Happy baby, baby I won't let them take your smile away
The lyrics to Eddie Kendricks's song "Happy" convey the message of wanting to make someone happy and ease their pain. The song starts off with the repeated line "Happy make you happy baby, I just wanna make you happy make you happy baby." from which the title of the song is derived. Kendricks reassures the listener that there's always a better side to any situation and if they're going through a tough time, he will make them happy by taking their frown and flipping it upside down. He pledges to do whatever it takes to bring joy and happiness to the person he's singing to, even if it means being a clown and making them laugh.
Kendricks's vocals are soulful with a hint of falsetto, and the instrumentation is upbeat and groovy. The melody is catchy and easy to sing along to. The lyrics are simple yet powerful and can resonate with anyone who's feeling down or going through a difficult time. It's a song that can lift one's mood and spirits and remind them that there's always something to be happy about.
Overall, "Happy" is a feel-good song that spreads positivity and happiness. It's a testament to the power of music and how it can evoke emotions and make people feel good. Kendricks's soulful vocals and the catchy melody make this song a classic that continues to be enjoyed by people of all ages.
Line by Line Meaning
Happy make you happy baby
I want to bring you joy and happiness, my dear
I just wanna make you happy make you happy baby
My only purpose is to make you happy, my love
Ain't too cloudy skies when trouble pressing depression should make you cry I will show you a better side where there's a rainbow shining just for your eyes
Even when times are tough and you feel sad or overwhelmed, I'll be there to remind you of the beauty in life and help you see the bright side
Happy gonna make you happy baby don't be sad and blue happy come just for you I will take your frown turn it up side down every, every care I'll chug away some where if a tear should fall down your pretty face it will be from happy let me make you happy baby
I promise to dispel your sadness and replace it with happiness. I'll take care of all your problems and make them disappear. If you ever cry, I'll wipe away your tears with my joy and love
For your smile I'll be a clown I'll get my laugh bags and my funny shoes bring your heart and sit right down there is nothing I won't do just to make you happy
I'll do whatever it takes to see you smile, including making a fool of myself and bringing joy and laughter into your life
I just wanna make you happy baby I'm so close I feel your sorrow too when I'm see you cry my eyes won't stay dry ooooh, ooooh, ooooh, baby can't you I just wanna be I wanna be your happy
Your happiness means everything to me, and when you're sad, I feel it too. I'll always be there for you, cheering you up and making you happy no matter what
I wanna make you happy baby I want, want you in my arms be your blanket keep you safe and warm I want be your guiding light let me lead you down the path of light
I want to hold you close and protect you from the world. I want to be your support and guide you towards a happy life. I want to be your light in the darkness
Happy baby, baby I won't let them take your smile away
I'll do everything in my power to protect you and keep you happy, even when the world tries to bring you down
Don't be sad and blue happy come for you I will take a fragment of your pain and turn it into sunshine just for you
Never feel sad or alone, because my happiness and love will always be there for you, helping to ease your pain and bring light into your life
Writer(s): Diane Gail Rubin, Dennis Matkosky, John Bettis, Tony Peluso, Kyle Francis Falconer, Kieren Clark Webster, Wayne Hussey Copyright: Hammer And Nails Music, Warner/Chappell Music Publishing Ltd., Universal Music Publishing Mgb Ltd., Almo Music Corp., Karles Music
Contributed by Brody A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
dukestreetking
Utterly beautiful. What a groove. And the chorus......wow. Heavenly ❤️
MsTexas73
Thanks for listening
NanTheGoldChild
Eddies vocals are angelic!!!
gamemaster gamemastwr
He was the best of the best. His voice and music transcend's. Love Love Love
auntkat1
This is the greatest voice sent from heaven..........the best falsetto tenor ever!
Brantley Alan
@Tristen Magnus you are welcome xD
Tristen Magnus
@Brantley Alan thank you, signed up and it seems like a nice service :) I really appreciate it !!
Brantley Alan
@Tristen Magnus Flixportal
Tristen Magnus
I realize Im pretty randomly asking but do anyone know of a good site to watch newly released movies online?
Annie Wilbert
Yes. No other falsetto in the world.