Richard Allen Street profile

Soul singer, most notable as a member of Motown vocal group The Temptations from 1971 to 1993.

b. October 5, 1942 in Detroit, Michigan.
d. February 27, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In 1955, Richard, his cousin along with best friend, Melvin Franklin (later to become The Temptations' legendary bass singer) was invited to join a vocal group: Otis Williams and The Distants. This led to recording with the The Monitors, which were signed to Motown, with which he did many outstanding lead vocals. He also coached a 3-girl group, which consisted of Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson and Diana Ross. Under his guidance, he helped the girl group and many other musical groups prepare themselves for recording contracts with Motown - known as Hitsville, USA. Years later, the world came to know Florence, Mary and Diane as the famous The Supremes. This valuable experience formed the foundation of his vocal coaching, and skilled choreography. He is also knowledgeable of the music industry from the inside, and he held a most coveted position in Motown's Quality Control Department, which was responsible for which talent was being considered for the company, and which recordings were selected for record release, and radio air play, this was just a few of his responsibilities in the department.