High School Buds: They Each Were Chosen To Replace Their Motown Idols Professionally

[Boogiedown]

from wiki::

Billy Griffin was born and raised in West Baltimore, Maryland. He attended Garrison Junior High School and Forest Park High School. He, like his brother Donald Griffin [[1955–2015),^[2][3] [[who later replaced Marv Tarplin in the Miracles), was a guitarist, as well as a singer, and sang with a local Baltimore group called The Last Dynasty. Damon Harris, who later went on to fame as a member of The Temptations, was a high school friend and group member in another local group, the Young Tempts [[later renamed as The Young Vandals). Griffin idolized Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson, while Harris idolized Temptation Eddie Kendricks. Both of them wound up as replacements for their idols in their respective groups.

I think it's even a little more remarkable than as it is stated. They each were the immediate recording replacements of their idols when they finally left their groups and at just about the same time ....and as opposed to doing so sometime later down the road amongst various others.
And both were such young replacements within these older groups, and
both being from the East coast, a million miles from anything Motown they were being inserted into these Motown legends and expected to fit in.

Amazing stuff right there.


Do we need a Billy Griffin, tell-all autobiography??

[reese]

Technically, Damon Harris wasn't an immediate replacement for Eddie Kendricks. His first replacement was Rickey Owens of the Vibrations. Owens was let go after some subpar performances.

[Boogiedown]

I amended my post to override your objection..... I think

[reese]

I amended my post to override your objection..... I think

Yes. I don't think Rickey got around to recording with the Tempts.

[TomatoTom123]

It must have been pretty amazing for both of them to replace the singers they idolised in their respective groups!! But, it also demonstrates the talent each of them must have had [[and did have!]]

[Boogiedown]

I think this would make for a fantastic movie.
The story line is so preposterous ....who would believe it??