Richard Street, R.I.P.

[tsull1]

Can't believe it... what an underrated great, great talent for The Temptations. Rough week for Tempts fans.

[Soul Sister]

OMG! I am so sorry to hear this.
Michelle, I am thinking about you today.

My condolences go out to Richard's family & dear friends.
May he rest in peace.

S.S.
***

[MotownSteve]

Condolences to his family. I met a cousin of his many years ago. RIP Richard

[tsull1]

Very good bio/obituary here by Chris Rizik of Soul Tracks:

http://www.soultracks.com/richard-street-dies

[jaybs]

Rest in Peace Richard! Thanks for the Music you brought us, no one can take those memories away! Condolences to Family & Friends.

What a tough week as others have said with the passing of two members of the Temptations.

[JIVE FIVE Mary G.]

So sorry to hear this news.

My thoughts and prayers are with Richard''s family and friends.

He gave us so much good music and his smile exuded charm and charisma.

Thank you for being a huge part of the soundtrack of our lives. You will live on in your music.

May Richard Rest In Peace...

~~Mary~~

[paladin]

:-[[ I am undone.

[misty]

This makes me inexpressably sad. I hope you're at peace, Richard. I'll keep the memories close.

[ratjr]

RIP Richard. You had one of the best voices that came through the Temptations.

Condolences go out to the family and friends.

Russell Thompkins Jr.

[zebop]

Very sad to hear this, Richard was one of my favorites. I never liked the Temptations as much after he left. RIP.

[soulwally]

I'm choked by this news. First heard him with the MOnitors on Say you, then the other tune that hit me from their one and only album, Since I Lost girl, then later he joined my favourite group. His fluid tenor, a real sing anything voice, played a keyrole in those great tunes from the 70s. Saw him live with the Tempts twice, what a character, what a showman. I was dismayed when he seemed to disappear suddenly from the line-up, and always got the impression he was bereft at losing his spot.

[jboy88]

I was just playing tracks from the "Solid Rock" lp last night. Richard had some tough shoes to fill, replacing the fantastic Paul Williams! But he managed to counter act his own smooth voice and add in a bit of the gruffness Paul had. My prayers and thoughts are with his family as well as the Temps.

[edafan]

God bless you Richard

R.I.P.

edafan

[paladin]

My first record that I owned by Richard Street........used to watch the evening news waiting for my number to be called , because you knew you were going to get a number......a lottery no one in their right mind wanted to win.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edoqCg5izr8

[misty]

So much personality in this vocal. Richard was underrated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTyW4uKwkmU&playnext=1&list=PL20BDE3593519A2E9&feature=results_video

[marv2]

This is unbelievable. Unbelievably sad! I grew up with some of Richard's cousins and we were all very proud of his and the Temptations accomplishments. He was a great singer, performer and all around entertainer. He also had a big sense of humor. The Temptations only became stronger with the addition of Richard Street. Richard was there from the very beginning before there were Temptations some may not remember. I will always remember him whenever I hear one of my all time favorites by the Tempts......"Hey Girl".

Rest in peace Richard and thanks man.

Marv

[marv2]

http://www.michronicleonline.com/index.php/entertainment/9832-motown-great-richard-street-dead-at-70

Richard Street, who served with the Temptations during the group’s prolific second heyday in the 1970s and ’80s, died early this morning in Las Vegas of a pulmonary embolism. He was 70.

Street, a Detroit native, formally joined the Tempts in 1971 after a long association with the group, having performed with Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin in the ‘50s vocal group the Distants.

Street’s death follows the Feb. 18 passing of Damon Harris, who joined the Temptations simultaneously with Street and was with the group for four years.

Before joining the Temptations, Street wore several hats at Motown Records, working in the label’s quality control department, recording with his group the Monitors and periodically filling in for ailing Tempts baritone Paul Williams.

He became a full-time Temptation upon Paul Williams’ departure, and was part of the Grammy-winning lineup that scored big on the pop charts with hits such as “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” [[1972) and “Masterpiece” [[1973).

The Temptations racked up more than four dozen Top 40 hits on Billboard’s R&B chart during Street’s tenure with the group, which ran through 1993, when he left amid alleged personal tensions with Otis Williams.

“He had a very colorful career,” said ex-wife Cal Gill Street of the Velvelettes. “It pleases me to say he was with the group during its very productive years.”

The two Motowners had wed in 1969 and were divorced in 1983. They briefly left metro Detroit in the mid-1970s to live in Bel Air, Calif., before returning to Michigan. Their son, Richard Street Jr., lives in Kalamazoo.

Street, who had been ill during the past year, was close to completing a book about his life and musical career, said friend Jeanne Sorenson.

Street is survived by his wife, Cynthia Street of Las Vegas, along with two sons and two daughters.

Funeral information has not yet been set.

[satipe]

I am so sorry to read this and send my prayers.

[Jerry Oz]

Four.
Dozen.
Top 40 hits.

'Nuff said, right there. That boggles my mind. RIP; job well done.

[no_place_like_motown]

So sorry to hear this. My condolences to his family and loved ones. RIP Richard.

[splanky]

Damn, I'm still feeling the loss of Damon Harris and now this. I didn't always agree with his
ideas but Richard to me always stood as one of the great voices of the Temptations, who I
felt had 3 prime periods...RIP, Mr Street...

[tallone]

Great singer, Excellent showman, but was underrated in many ways. He will be missed.

[marv2]

One of Richard's earliest recordings:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0GEovJlpPE

[nosey]

Greetings, this is Uncle Sam is in my cd player in the car! What a coincidence and a terrible loss. His emoting on that song is heart wrenching. I remember seeing the Monitors at the Uptown @ 1966. RIP.
I can't count the numerous farewell house parties I attended where that song was played during the Vietnam War.

[Soul Sister]

Very close {{{MISTY}}}.......
I can only imagine the memories that came flooding back to you.
Thinking of You,
S.S.
***

[misty]

Thanks, SS. Yes. Still wrapping my head around it.

[arrr&bee]

I saw this post awhile back but couldn't bring myself to believe it,no one else could've followed paul except richard,great singer..i kept hoping that he,dennis and otis would once again share a stage..richard street-a temptation always,r.i.p.

[robb_k]

6360
I first heard Richard Street [[Strick?) on this record in early 1960:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7L1SJcnTlc

6361

I was a BIG fan of his voice [[in my all time Top 5 male voices) from his start. I followed him closely through his career with The Distants [[both groups), Monitors and his early Temptations work. I'm sorry to hear of his passing,

As his name was listed as "Richard Strick" on his first 2 records with The Distants. So, I always thought his birth name was "Richard Strick", and he changed it to "Street" for a stage name. When he married Cal Gill, I thought that her last name would change to Strick. I assume now, that Richard had his family name changed from Strick to his "stage" name, "Street", to avoid confusion.

Marv, do you remember the family's last name being "Strick"?

[marv2]

6360
I first heard Richard Street [[Strick?) on this record in early 1960:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7L1SJcnTlc

6361

I was a BIG fan of his voice [[in my all time Top 5 male voices) from his start. I followed him closely through his career with The Distants [[both groups), Monitors and his early Temptations work. I'm sorry to hear of his passing,

As his name was listed as "Richard Strick" on his first 2 records with The Distants. So, I always thought his birth name was "Richard Strick", and he changed it to "Street" for a stage name. When he married Cal Gill, I thought that her last name would change to Strick. I assume now, that Richard had his family name changed from Strick to his "stage" name, "Street", to avoid confusion.

Marv, do you remember the family's last name being "Strick"?

Robb, the side of Richard's family I grew up with name is Savage.

[ollie]

R i P & thank you!