R & B singer and lead for the famed Motown group The Temptations. David Ruffin could not capitalize on his first solo singles for various labels, so he shared his private pain in the Temptations' biggest hits. He was born in Wyanot, Mississippi, on Jan. 18, 1941, to a family who had a little musical group called The Spiritual Living Four. Ruffin's relationship with The Temptations was a stormy one, but the marriage produced defining moments in 1960's soul, and his departure from the group in 1968 was one of the headlines of that year. The reaction of his solo recording "My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me)" in 1969 suggested a solo star was born. But the song was really a metaphor for his personal struggle for a life rich and full of meaning. While there were minor hits later, Ruffin was caught between various writers and producers, and except for "Walk Away From Love" in 1975, he never tapped his enormous potential again. Never at ease, tall with black rimmed glasses and continued drug use, Ruffin was a loner who died of a drug overdose in 1991 at the University of Pennsylvania hospital. To many other music artists, David Ruffin's music influence is everlasting.

R & B singer and lead for the famed Motown group The Temptations. David Ruffin could not capitalize on his first solo singles for various labels, so he shared his private pain in the Temptations' biggest hits. He was born in Wyanot, Mississippi, on Jan. 18, 1941, to a family who had a little musical group called The Spiritual Living Four. Ruffin's relationship with The Temptations was a stormy one, but the marriage produced defining moments in 1960's soul, and his departure from the group in 1968 was one of the headlines of that year. The reaction of his solo recording "My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me)" in 1969 suggested a solo star was born. But the song was really a metaphor for his personal struggle for a life rich and full of meaning. While there were minor hits later, Ruffin was caught between various writers and producers, and except for "Walk Away From Love" in 1975, he never tapped his enormous potential again. Never at ease, tall with black rimmed glasses and continued drug use, Ruffin was a loner who died of a drug overdose in 1991 at the University of Pennsylvania hospital. To many other music artists, David Ruffin's music influence is everlasting.

Bio by: Curtis Jackson