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| Richard Street | |
|---|---|
| Name | Richard Street |
| Birth date | July 5, 1942 |
| Birth place | Cleveland, Ohio |
| Death date | February 27, 2013 |
| Death place | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Occupation | Singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 1955–2013 |
| Associated acts | The Temptations, The Distants, The Monitors |
Richard Street was an American soul singer and performer best known for his tenure as a lead and background vocalist with The Temptations during the 1970s and 1980s. A member of several Detroit-area vocal groups before joining Motown, he contributed to landmark recordings and tours that connected him to figures and institutions across Motown Records, the Detroit music scene, and the broader history of soul music. Street's career intersected with major artists, producers, and events in popular music, influencing stagecraft and ensemble singing in rhythm and blues.
Richard Street was born in Cleveland, Ohio and raised in the industrial and cultural milieu of Detroit, Michigan, a city central to Motown Records and the development of rhythm and blues and soul music. He became involved in vocal groups while attending local schools in Detroit and performing in neighborhood venues linked to the same circuits frequented by contemporaries such as Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Berry Gordy, and members of The Four Tops. Street's formative experiences included working with regional ensembles like The Distants and appearing on the Detroit club scene alongside acts that performed at landmarks such as The Apollo Theater and events promoted by figures connected to Motown.
Street's association with The Temptations grew out of his involvement with Detroit vocal groups and connections to Motown personnel including Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, and producers such as Norman Whitfield and Frank Wilson. Initially employed in a touring or background capacity, he formally joined the lineup during a period marked by personnel changes that also involved members like Eddie Kendricks, David Ruffin, Paul Williams, Otis Williams, and Melvin Franklin. Street sang lead and background on recordings produced during sessions at Hitsville U.S.A. and on releases issued through Gordy Records.
During his tenure, Street contributed to albums and singles that engaged songwriters and arrangers such as Barrett Strong, Roger Penzabene, and Cornelius Grant, and worked with arrangers connected to the Muscle Shoals Sound and studios like Hitsville U.S.A. Studio A. He toured extensively, sharing bills with artists from The Supremes to Aretha Franklin and appearing on television programs and concert venues tied to the promotional networks of Motown and national promoters like Bill Graham. Street's presence helped sustain the ensemble through stylistic shifts from classic harmonies to socially conscious material associated with producers like Norman Whitfield.
Outside of his primary role in The Temptations, Street recorded and performed with a range of collaborators spanning the Detroit and national scenes. He worked alongside artists and groups affiliated with labels such as Motown Records and independent producers who had worked with figures like Johnny Bristol and Lamont Dozier. Street sang on projects and live dates that included joint bills with acts like The Temptations Review, participating in revivals, reunions, and tribute performances connected to institutions such as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and festivals that showcased legacy soul and R&B performers. His studio work brought him into contact with engineers, session musicians, and orchestral arrangers who had credits with artists including Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and Diana Ross.
Street's personal life was interwoven with the social networks of Detroit and touring communities. He maintained friendships and working relationships with fellow vocalists and Motown alumni including Otis Williams, Dennis Edwards, Richard "Pip" Purdie (associate performers), and background collaborators from groups like The Temptations Review and The Monitors. Offstage, Street navigated family responsibilities and relationships while balancing the demanding schedules of recording and national touring. He engaged with community projects and reunions that involved institutions such as Motown Alumni Association gatherings and benefit concerts alongside peers from Stax Records-linked circles and other legacy R&B organizations.
In later years Street faced health challenges that affected his touring and public appearances. He died in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 27, 2013, prompting tributes from surviving members of The Temptations and statements from Motown-associated artists including Otis Williams and colleagues who had performed with him for decades. His death was noted by institutions that document popular music history, including halls and museums that preserve artifacts from the Motown era, and by journalists who cover legacy acts such as Rolling Stone (magazine), Billboard (magazine), and public broadcasters that feature retrospectives on soul music.
Street's contributions are preserved through recordings issued on labels such as Gordy Records and compilations curated by archivists at institutions including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and university collections that focus on African American music. His role in ensemble singing and stage presentation influenced subsequent generations of vocal groups and is cited in studies of popular music performance practice, preservation efforts, and documentaries that recount the history of Motown Records and the Detroit sound.
Category:1942 births Category:2013 deaths Category:American soul singers Category:The Temptations members Category:People from Detroit, Michigan