DETROIT – Ali-Ollie Woodson, who led the legendary Motown quintet The Temptations in the 1980s and 1990s and helped restore them to their hit-making glory with songs including ‘Treat Her Like A Lady’, has died. He was 58.
Woodson had been battling cancer.
Woodson was not an original member of the group, which had several line-up changes after it started in the 1960s. But he played an integral part in keeping the Temptations from becoming just nostalgia act.By the early 1980s, the Temptations were no longer posting hit after hit like they did in the 1960s and ’70s with classics such as ‘Papa Was a Rolling Stone’, ‘My Girl’, and ‘I Wish It Would Rain’.Woodson was charged with replacing Dennis Edwards, whose passionate voice defined the group during the 1970s. Woodson’s voice, though similar to Edwards’ with its fiery tone, was distinct in itself, and helped the group notch the R&B hits ‘Treat Her Like A Lady’, ‘Sail Away’, and ‘Lady Soul’.’He had this swagger about himself. He was cool. He had a coolness about himself that was really very inviting,’ said Motown Alumni Association President Billy Wilson.Despite his fame, Woodson was ‘always a gentleman and always polite and kind to everybody. If we ever asked him to do anything, he never said, ‘well, it’s going to cost you.’ He’d always say, ‘yeah, let’s go’,’ said Wilson, who founded the Detroit-based Motown association in the mid-1990s.’He was just a star performer. Wonderful person. Wonderful, wonderful person. He was very kind.’ – Nampa-AP
