Richard Street facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Richard Street
Street in 1971
Background information
Birth name	Richard Allen Street
Born	(1942-10-05)October 5, 1942 Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Died	February 27, 2013(2013-02-27) (aged 70) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Genres	R&B, pop, soul, disco
Occupation(s)	Singer, dancer, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1959–2013
Labels	Warwick, Motown, Atlantic
Associated acts	The Distants, The Temptations, The Monitors

Richard Allen Street (born October 5, 1942 – died February 27, 2013) was a talented American soul and R&B singer. He was most famous for being a member of the legendary Motown vocal group, The Temptations. Richard was born and grew up in Detroit, Michigan. This was special because he was the first Temptations member who was actually from Detroit, the city where Motown Records started.

Richard Street's Music Journey

Early Days with The Distants

Richard Street was the main singer for an early group called Otis Williams & the Distants. This group was a first version of The Temptations. They even had a local hit song called "Come On." Other future Temptations members, like Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin, were also in The Distants.

Later, some members left to form a new group that became The Temptations. Richard briefly led a new version of The Distants in the early 1960s.

Singing with The Monitors

In the mid-1960s, Richard sang with another Motown group called The Monitors. They had one small hit song in 1966 called "Greetings (This is Uncle Sam)." They also had a song called "Say You" in 1965. The Temptations later recorded their own version of "Say You."

Joining The Temptations

Richard Street knew The Temptations and Otis Williams very well. He had worked for Motown in quality control. He also sang with The Distants and The Monitors.

By the late 1960s, Richard started helping The Temptations. He would travel with them and sing Paul Williams' parts from off-stage. Paul Williams was sick and would dance and lip-sync on stage. Richard officially joined The Temptations in mid-1971. This happened after both Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks left the group.

Many of The Temptations' biggest hits feature Richard Street's voice. These include "Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)" (1971) and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" (1972). He also sang lead on "Masterpiece" (1973). Richard sang solo on "Hey Girl (I Like Your Style)" (1973). He also sang solo on album songs like "The First Time I Saw Your Face" and "Firefly."

Richard, along with his old bandmates Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin, saw many changes in the group. Over the twenty years Richard was a Temptation, many different singers joined and left the group.

In 1998, a TV show called The Temptations was made. It was based on a book by Otis Williams. An actor named J. August Richards played Richard Street in the show.

Richard Street sang on many Temptations songs, including:

Leaving The Temptations

Richard Street decided to leave The Temptations in 1993. He felt that the "family feeling" of the group had changed. He had to go to the hospital to have seventeen kidney stones removed. He felt that the group leader, Otis Williams, did not show enough concern about his health. Because of this, Richard chose to move on.

Solo Career and Charity Work

After leaving The Temptations, Richard Street continued to sing and perform on his own. Sometimes, he performed with Damon Harris, another former Temptations member. Richard was also a regular guest host on a radio show called R&B Showcase Radio Show.

He was honored by the New Jersey State Senate on May 11, 2002. This was for his charity work at an event for cancer research. Many entertainers paid tribute to Richard Street at this event.

Richard Street's Family Life

Richard Street was married to Carolyn "Cal" Gill, the lead singer of The Velvelettes, from 1969 to 1983. They had one son, Richard Street, Jr. Richard also had three other children: Brandi Chapman, Januari Street, and Brandon Street. At the time of his death, Richard Street was married to Cynthia Ramirez Street. They had been married for seven years.

Richard was writing a book about his life called Ball of Confusion. This title refers to a famous Temptations song. His co-author, Gary Flanigan, finished the book after Richard's death. It was published in 2014 and is called Ball of Confusion: My Life as a Temptin' Temptation.

His Passing

Richard Street passed away on February 27, 2013, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He died from a pulmonary embolism, which is a serious blood clot in the lung. His death happened just nine days after another former Temptation, Damon Harris, also passed away. Richard Street was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Cypress, California.