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The Daily Insight

How did Dennis Edwards die

Author

Victoria Simmons

Published Mar 29, 2026

The Cook County, Illinois medical examiner’s office has determined that former Temptations lead singer Dennis Edwards died of complications from meningitis. Edwards died last month in Chicago after a long illness. He was 74.

What was the cause of Edwards death?

At the time of his death, Edwards’ widow, Brenda Edwards, said he died because of complications from meningitis, however, law enforcement officials are disputing that claim. … “I loved Dennis and we were married for 18 years. I would have never done anything to harm him,” she said through her publicist.

Which temptation is still alive?

Only one of the founding members of The Temptations is still alive. Otis Williams, who owns the rights to the group’s name and is still a member of the band, is the only member who remains. Although he’s the group’s last original member and de facto leader, Otis rarely sings lead.

How did Richard Street die?

Richard Street, who served with the Temptations during the group’s prolific second heyday in the 1970s and ’80s, died early Wednesday morning in Las Vegas of a pulmonary embolism.

Who was the tallest temptation?

At 6′ 5″, he was the tallest member of ‘The Temptation’. The runners-up are Richard Street and David Ruffin who stand 6′ 4″ and 6′ 3″. In the early part of his tenure with The Temptations, his performances were often interrupted by David Ruffin, whom Edwards replaced.

What temptation killed himself?

Paul WilliamsBornJuly 2, 1939 Ensley, Alabama, U.S.OriginBirmingham, Alabama, U.S.DiedAugust 17, 1973 (aged 34) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.GenresR&B soul

Are there any original 4 tops alive?

They spent the ensuing 44 years performing without a change in the lineup, and then only because founding member Lawrence Payton died in 1997. … The only surviving member, Abdul “Duke” Fakir, leads a version of the Four Tops that includes Payton’s son, Roquel.

When did Richard Street die?

Richard Street died on February 27, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada of a pulmonary embolism. His death occurred nine days after fellow former Temptation Damon Harris’s death.

What was David Ruffin's net worth when he died?

Net Worth:$150 ThousandDate of Birth:Jan 18, 1941 – Jun 1, 1991 (50 years old)Gender:MaleProfession:Singer, MusicianNationality:United States of America

How old is Smokey Robinson?

Smokey Robinson has reason to celebrate at MGM National Harbor this Saturday night: The 81-year-old Motown legend is happy to be touring again after surviving COVID-19. “It was really crazy,” Robinson told WTOP. “Until April of this year, I had not done a concert since February 2020 because everything shut down.

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What happened to Melvin from the temptations?

Melvin Franklin, the original bass singer of the perennially popular Temptations who anchored such hits as “The Way You Do the Things You Do” and “My Girl,” died Thursday. He was 52. Franklin died of heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, a week after he was admitted following a series of seizures.

What happened to Otis Williams?

Due to his hectic touring schedule, Williams’ character bemoans missing out on Lamont’s youth and the story reaches an emotional apex when it’s revealed he tragically died in a construction accident at 24 years old.

Who was the shortest member of the Temptations?

Melvin FranklinBirth nameDavid Melvin EnglishBornOctober 12, 1942 Montgomery, Alabama, U.S.OriginDetroit, Michigan, U.S.DiedFebruary 23, 1995 (aged 52) Los Angeles County, California, U.S.

Who is Dennis Edwards daughter?

Personal life and death The couple had one daughter, Issa Pointer, who became a member of her mother’s vocal group, The Pointer Sisters. Edwards moved to Florissant, Missouri in the 1980s to be closer to his mother.

What song made the temptations famous?

In January 1964, Smokey Robinson and Miracles bandmate Bobby Rogers co-wrote and produced “The Way You Do the Things You Do” with Eddie Kendricks on lead and the single became the Temptations’ first Top 20 hit that April.

What song made the Four Tops famous?

Their breakthrough hit, “Baby I Need Your Loving,” was produced by Holland-Dozier-Holland in 1964, and was followed by greater success with “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” in 1965, the Tops’ first #1 hit.

What happened to David Ruffin?

But David Ruffin died in Philadelphia on June 1, 1991, the victim of what doctors determined to be an accidental overdose of cocaine. He was 50. News coverage of his death veered toward the sensational.

How old were the Temptations at death?

Paul Williams committed suicide in 1973 at the age of 34. Ruffin died in 1991 of a drug overdose at the age of 50. Eddie Kendricks, who sang lead on songs like “Just My Imagination,” died in 1992 of lung cancer at the age of 52, and bass Melvin Franklin was the same age when he died in 1995 of heart failure.

Which one of the Temptations had rheumatoid arthritis?

It was 25 years ago Sunday (February 23rd, 1995) that Temptations co-founder Melvin Franklin died at the age of 53. Franklin, who was the baritone voice of the Temps, had been ill for the past few years of his life, suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes, among other things.

Did Marvin Gaye have a relationship with Tammi Terrell?

Terrell was as boisterous and filled with life offstage as she was on. Her relationship with Marvin Gaye was close, but platonic. It is said that Gaye never got over her death; he soon began a downward spiral courtesy of depression and drug abuse.

Are Paul Williams and Otis Williams related?

Paul would remain a lesser-known name than either Ruffin or Kendricks, despite his great vocal presence and pivotal role in the rise of the classic five-piece line-up, alongside Melvin Franklin and the sole survivor in the modern-day Temptations, Otis (no relation) Williams.

Did Tammi Terrell and David Ruffin date?

In 1966, Terrell then started a romance with The Temptations lead singer David Ruffin. That year, Terrell accepted Ruffin’s marriage proposal. After Terrell announced their engagement onstage, she discovered that he was already married. Ruffin had a wife, three children, and another girlfriend in Detroit.

Where is Ruffin buried?

In his later years, Ruffin struggled with substance abuse, and he died in 1991 in Philadelphia after an adverse reaction to cocaine and other drugs. He is buried in Detroit’s Woodlawn Cemetery.

What happened to David Ruffin after the Temptations?

In 1989, Ruffin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with five other Temptations. Just two years later, Ruffin, at 50 years of age, would collapse in a Philadelphia crack house. Hours later he was dropped off in front of a hospital, where he died of a drug overdose.

What was the Temptations net worth?

Net Worth:$8 MillionNationality:United States of America

What was Eddie Kendricks net worth at death?

Net Worth:$5 MillionDate of Birth:Dec 17, 1939 – Oct 5, 1992 (52 years old)Gender:MaleHeight:6 ft 1 in (1.86 m)Profession:Songwriter, Singer, Musician

How long was Richard Street with The Temptations?

Otis Williams, Richard Street, Melvin Franklin, Glenn Leonard, and Dennis Edwards of The Temptations. Singer Richard Street, who sang with Motown’s famed Temptations for 25 years, died in a Las Vegas hospital after a short illness, according to his wife Cindy, The Associated Press reports. He was 70.