When David Ruffin Purposely Outperformed Diana Ross:

[captainjames]

David was an amazing talent and enetertainer and some of same performances that he has done with the Temptations he did with the Supremes. David wanted what Diana was getting from Motown. This performnce does not strike me as him trying to upstage anyone. This performance strikes me as David being David !!! Period !!! When folks have said Diana has upstge Mary and Cindy, I have always said thats Diana being Diana. Berry always told them ..... GO OUT THERE AND DO IT !!! Diana held her own. The Tempts held their own and Mary and Cindy did the same. It was flawless seeing them together on Ed Sullivan. Of course Otis was there and thats how he saw it but I wish Diana would say how she saw it or if we had Mary or the Tempts around to give their view.

[lucky2012]

Many very good and I think fair points, captainjames. The Ed Sullivan appearance was in November, 1967, the year the Supremes became Diana Ross & the Supremes and Martha & the Vandellas became Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, giving recognition to the lead voices on those hits.

Rightly or wrongly, placing Diana front & center in this appearance I think was most probably part of Berry Gordy's & Motown's plan, with the renaming, to place a spotlight on her. David Ruffin wanted the Temptations to become David Ruffin & the Temptations around this time. This obviously did not happen, and the Temptations replaced him with Dennis Edwards in June 1968.

I agree that David Ruffin was not trying to upstage anyone. His was a talent that cannot be denied. I also agree that Diana held her own and the two groups on stage in this appearance were simply captivating.

Finally, I agree that Otis William's perspective is his own valid one, but how I wish we had other perspectives of those who were there. But like someone here said, if wishes were horses...