Elbridge Bryant

Elbridge " Al " Bryant ( born September 28, 1939 in Thomasville, Georgia; † 26 October 1975, in Flagler County, Florida) was an American tenor singer and founding member of The Temptations.

Life and career

Bryant was born in Thomasville, Georgia. Later he moved to Detroit, where he met Otis Williams and with whom he played in various groups such as Otis Williams & the Siberians, The El Dominguez Goes and The distants before and 1961 The Elgin with Melvin Franklin and the Primes singers Eddie Kendricks Paul Williams founded. After the group had received a recording contract with Motown, it was renamed The Temptations.

In the studio recording the Temptations mostly Paul Williams and Kendricks sang the lead part while Otis Williams, Franklin and Bryant mostly singing the background part. At that time she also appeared as a backing vocalist for other Motown stars such as Mary Wells and Marvin Gaye.

During the first two years at Motown, the group took a total of seven singles, of which it managed only a single, Dream Come True in the R & B charts at # 22. Due to the lack of success of the group in the early days Bryant continued to work as a milkman to earn his livelihood.

From 1963, Bryant became increasingly erratic. He beat Paul Williams during an altercation with a beer bottle hospital. The group decided first to give Bryant another chance. At a Christmas party, it came on the stage, however, to a further confrontation, which ultimately led to that Bryant was replaced by David Ruffin.

After his release in the Temptations, he joined various singing groups in Detroit, among them The Premiers.

He died on 26 October 1975 in Florida of liver cirrhosis.

Elbridge Bryant was, Georgia, buried in the Thomas Cemetery in Brantley County.