Melvin Franklin

About Melvin Franklin

Melvin Franklin (born David Melvin English; October 12, 1942 – February 23, 1995) was an American bass singer, best known for his role as a member of Motown singing group The Temptations from 1961 to 1994. Franklin's nephew was Rick James, later a Motown star in his own right during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Born in Montgomery, Alabama, David English, the son of a preacher, moved to Detroit, Michigan at the age of nine. Taking on his mother's surname of Franklin for his stage name, he was a member of a number of local singing groups in Detroit, including The Voice Masters with Lamont Dozier and David Ruffin (a distant cousin of Franklin), and frequently performed with his cousin Richard Street.

One day, walking home from Northwestern High School, Franklin was approached by a tall, dark teenager who was adamantly trying to get his attention. Thinking the stranger was a gang member, Franklin ran away and attempted to dodge his pursuer before learning that the young man was Otis Williams, a singer in a local group called The Distants. Franklin joined the group as its bass singer, and remained with Williams and Elbridge Bryant when they, Paul Williams, and Eddie Kendricks formed The Elgins in late 1960. In March 1961, the Elgins signed with Motown records under a new name--The Temptations. He had a fondness for the color blue, and so he was nicknamed "Blue" by his friends and fellow singers. According to Otis Williams, Franklin romantically pursued Supremes singer Mary Wilson at one point.