Otis Williams’ nickname is “Oak,.” Given that the 83-year-old singer is still a member of the Temptations, 64 years after the group’s founding, it’s not to figure where that came from. He’s been the sole original member in the group since the early ’90s, in fact, and is still on the road and in the studio with the perpetually reconstituting Motown group… the lone member who can talk about the transformative era that really began when “My Girl” was released almost exactly 60 years ago, on Dec. 21, 1964.
In honor of the 60-year celebration of the Temptations’ first No. 1 hit, the Temptations have been out on the media circuit, plugging a song that really needs no plugging — clearly, from the fact that Spotify recently certified it as racking up a billion streams on the service. This past week, they were out doing the morning shows, climaxing with a Friday appearance on CBS in the a.m. that had them serenading Gayle King as a surprise for her birthday — with the tune modified, conveniently, to “My Gayle.”
Other recent high-profile gigs included singing the National Anthem (no, they didn’t change it to “My Country”) for the New York Mets before Game 5 on the NCLS in October, because team superstar Francisco Lindor had spent the season bringing “My Girl” into the stadium every night as his walk-up music. Hearing entire stadiums-ful of baseball fans singing the Temptations’ signature song is just a small wrinkle in the undying life of the tune, which included “My Girl” being used as the title song of a 191 Macauley Culkin feature, renewed exposure that drove the single back up near the top of the charts in the U.K. and other territories.
After winding up Gayle King’s birthday surprise, Williams got on the phone with Variety to talk about the song’s 60-year life as a perennial favorite of boyfriends, husbands, doting dads and presidents. (For L.A. residents who want to hear it in person, the Temptations will be co-headlining a show with the Four Tops at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre Jan. 19.)
The Temptations already had a 60th anniversary celebration, but not as often do people celebrate the anniversary of a song, which you’re doing now with the 60th for “My Girl.”
And I’m happy that we’re celebrating something that we never would’ve imagined it doing, over 1 billion streams. You know, it was just being at the right place at the right time, being at Motown during the ‘60s, and we thought it was a great song when Smokey wrote it. Now it’s 1 billion (streams) strong and still going. So I can’t even begin to tell you the many wonderful appreciations and things that I’ve shared in, and I just thank God for the blessing.
It’s always received very well, from day one all the way up to the other night when we performed. It takes on a lot of different values for people. I’ve seen it on my phone — fathers when they give their daughter (away at a wedding), when (the groom) is taking his baby girl.
The funny thing is that it was sort of an answer song to a Mary Wells hit, though it eclipsed the original.
We were out on the road, but when we came back to Motown, Smokey had written “My Guy” and he said, “Well, now I’m gonna do a song called ‘My Girl.’” And I was told that some of the people at the Motown said, “Yeah, sure, right.” But Smokey wrote it for us and it came out and sold over a million copies. So Smokey was right on point again, from “My Guy” to “My Girl.”
Along with the obviously wonderful vocals, there’s so much alchemy with the great instrumental parts by the Funk Brothers, with James Jamerson on bass and Robert White on guitar, contributing these incredible musical licks.
And I was really astounded once the strings were put on. The rhythm track was a great rhythm track, but when Paul Riser added the strings and horns on there, I said, “Oh, that’s a whole ‘nother song.” It was just like the icing on a wonderfully made cake.
How did you realize how big a hit it was?
When we got telegrams about it going No. 1 while we were at the Apollo Theater… We got four telegrams — one from the Beatles, one from the Supremes, one from Berry Gordy, and another one from Florence Ballard, by herself. And then one from Jules Podell who ran the Copa, because we broke all the existing records at the Copacabana. I have all those telegrams hanging up in my home.
It’s difficult to imagine an alternate history where Motown does not exist, and how different the world might be as a result.
Motown was a special company because it came along in the early ‘60s in Detroit and the United States when we were going through all kind of racial confrontations. They shut Detroit down when we had that bad riot there. And when it was over, when the people could walk and go about their business, the first place I went to was down to Motown to see if it was destroyed. Motown Records did not have one stone out of place. That was one of the most tumultuous decades that we’ve lived in, but Motown is just a special brand.
Detroit was always primarily been known for the big three — Ford, General Motors and Chrysler — but with Motown, it became the big four.
So many of the other members of your group died fairly young. There was that period in the ‘90s when you lost three members who were all in their early 50s at the time. So you’ve been the standard bearer for the last 30 years for the group. What’s that been like? Did you imagine after some of the other members were gone that you’d still be carrying the flag for the original Temptations decades later?
I never knew what was going to happen here. I have withstood 27 different strong personalities (other members who’ve come in and out of the group). And I looked back and said, you know, not to get sanctimonious or whatever… God left me here for a reason, to go through 27 strong different personalities and to betalking to you about my history, my successes, my numbers. I never would have imagined that would take place at the beginning, because all I ever wanted to do was have a group be successful and make money, and make the girls be good and join us, you know? I don’t think there’s too many groups, Black groups, anyway, that have a song that has done over 1 billion streams, so there’s a specialness about this group, for what we’ve been through, and still be surrounded with wonderful people around me. I’m just very fortunate and thankful that God has blessed me with such wonderful people to perpetuate the Temptations.
The Temptations in the mid-’60s
Who was it that first called you “Oak”?
Smokey came up with that. I asked him, “Why you calling me Oak?” He said, “Oh, you might not have led any of the big singles and what have you. But if it wasn’t for you, there would be no Temptations.” He said, “You’re like the strong oak tree.” You know, if it wasn’t for you, there would be no Temptations.” And then now I’ve come to realize that as I look through the rearview mirror of my life to see, here I am 83, still having a wonderful time with what we do.
I had to tell my manager and my agent that we love what we do, but now that we have reached an age where the word “temperance” comes into play. You have to temper it now because when we started out, we were in our twenties, thirties, forties. When you cross over 50, it gives another kind of perspective about taking far better care of yourself. It is just something that I never would imagine that I would still be here doing, 62 years later.
The Temptations and the Four Tops are similar in that each group has one original member. And that means something to people, that line of continuity. Because there are a lot of groups that continue with no original members and people miss having that rock or anchor in the group. Surely you know how important your presence is for the people who care about that connection.
Well, when Leon (Robinson, the actor) did the miniseries (in the ‘90s, which he played David Ruffin), I asked him, how did he come up with the line about “Ain’t nobody come to see you, Otis”? I said, “Was that scripted?” He said, “No, the scene was flowing so well, that just came into it.” Now, when we’re out performing, it’s “We love Otis! We came to see you, Otis.” So that’s going to a positive kind of statement. But I didn’t even take offense to it when Leon said (in the series), “Ain’t nobody come to see you, Otis. They don’t even know you do this and that.” I would tell him, “They know me now.”
The Temptations in 2024
SHAHAR AZRAN
The group still makes records. Is that important?
Well, we’re getting ready to go into the studio again once the holidays have passed and everything is settled down, in February. I would love to get some product out on the guys that I have now. We are being received so wonderfully well that I’d like to get something out and let ’em know that the Temps still are recording and very relevant to what’s happening today.
Now, one thing that the Temps will never do, we will never come out cussing. We will never come out grabbing our private parts. I think partially that’s why we’re still around, because a man can bring his family and doesn’t have have to worry about that.
In the life of a song like “My Girl,” there are still surprises that come along. One of those came recently when you went and celebrated with the New York Mets their use of “My Girl” as one of the players’ walkup music.
Well, that’s the wonderful part about what we do — you get a lot of wonderful surprises. Just as big as when we did the National Anthem for the Mets earlier this year… I never would imagined when Barack Obama was the president and we were at the White House and he saw us walking by a particular window and he said, “Is that the Temptations?” and one of the guys said, “Yes, Mr. President. That’s the Temptations.” Now he had a lot of dignitaries and people that he told to hold up, because we had to come into the Oval Office. We were laughing and talking and he broke out singing lead, and we did the harmony behind it. Now, you could have tipped me over with some feather before I would believe the president of the United States was in the Oval Office singing “My Girl” with the Temptations.
He had a beautiful tenor voice and I joked with him. I said, “Oh man, you sound so good. You could join the Temps. I mean, you’re tall, you’re nice looking and you beautiful.” And he said, “No, no, no, my wife wouldn’t go for that.”
There’s moments like that, aside from singing the national anthem for the Mets. We’ve had a lot of people that we never would imagine that loved them some Temptations. I have so many memories; some of ’em just slide between the gray matter. They just gave me a big plaque celebrating us having a billion streams. Where am I gonna put it? Every room in my house has got some kind of citation or plaque, but I’m gonna find room for this here plaque from Spotify.
The wonders never cease. I just can’t really say anything else other than: We are just very blessed, because a group of our ilk should have been through a long time ago, instead of celebrated 60-some odd years, and at a very high profile, surrounded by some wonderfully talented people with vision.
You’ve sung “My Girl” thousands of times… maybe tens of thousands. Is there something that happens where it can feel rote, but you remind yourself that it’s fresh to an audience that hasn’t had the privilege of hearing it in person before?
You know what, when we go out on stage, we always try and keep in mind it’s the first time. We never get lax. We don’t take it for granted just because we’ve been around for so long, because we have a new generation that’s coming up that has never seen us and might have just heard of us. Or they will say, “My mom, my dad, that’s all they used to do when I was a little fellow, a little girl — ‘My Girl’ and ‘Can’t Get Next to You’ and ‘Just My Imagination’.” They come out to see us because it is a passing-on kind of situation. So we never get lax or take it for granted just because we’ve been around. A lot of people have heard our music, but they never get tired — so far — of looking at the Temptations. We’re very blessed.
