Temptations’ Dennis Edwards Reportedly Gravely Ill

According to a May 1st Facebook post by photojournalist Ken Bedford, Dennis Edwards, formerly of The Temptations, was stricken with a sudden serious illness and is hospitalized in St. Louis, Missouri. Bedford requested prayers for the singer, who turned 74 years old this past February.

Dennis joined The Temptations in the late 1960s as the replacement for David Ruffin, who famously sang lead on “I Wish It Would Rain” and other earlier hits. While many fans had reservations about the group’s future without Ruffin, Dennis helped usher the Temptations into the era of psychedelic soul with the 1968 hit “Cloud Nine,” followed up by several other hits on which he sang the main lead, such as “I Can’t Get Next to You,” “Ball of Confusion” and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone”