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David Ruffin

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Vocalist

The Resume

    (January 18, 1941-June 1, 1991)
    Born in Whynot, Mississippi
    Member of the Temptations
    Sang lead on ‘My Girl’ (1965), ‘Since I Lost My Baby’ (1965), ‘Beauty’s Only Skin Deep’ (1966), ‘Ain’t Too Proud to Beg’ (1966) and ‘I Wish It Would Rain’ (1967)
    Solo recorded ‘My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me)’ (1969) and ‘Walk Away from Love’ (1975)

Why he might be annoying:

    He refused to travel with the other members of the group, instead riding in a custom limo.
    He allegedly abused his girlfriend, <17310>Tammi Terrell.
    After the Supremes became ‘Diana Ross and the Supremes’ and the Miracles became ‘Smokey Robinson and the Miracles,’ he demanded that the group’s name be changed to 'David Ruffin and the Temptations.'
    He was fired by the rest of the band for skipping a concert to be with his new girlfriend.
    After being fired, he would show up at Temptations concerts./n/When the band started performing a song he had been the lead on, he would jump on stage, grab the microphone from his replacement and start singing.
    He was convicted of tax evasion (1981).
    He fatally OD’d in a crack house.
    Louis Farrakhan delivered the eulogy at his funeral.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He sang lead on the Temptations’ first Number One hit.
    Part of the reason Motown sided with the Temptations rather than him was that he was demanding a proper accounting of the group’s royalties from the label.
    One of his producers said of his personal problems, ‘He never brought that into the studio. He was a pro.’
    His funeral was paid for by Michael Jackson and featured performances by Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 18 Votes: 22.22% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 35 Votes: 5.71% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 108 Votes: 52.78% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 6 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 421 Votes: 45.84% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 5 Votes: 80.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 9 Votes: 22.22% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 17 Votes: 47.06% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 31 Votes: 29.03% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 17 Votes: 70.59% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 26 Votes: 73.08% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 12 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 25 Votes: 72.00% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 32 Votes: 68.75% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 35 Votes: 71.43% Annoying
    In 2007, Out of 86 Votes: 77.91% Annoying