The Temptations original members were Otis Williams, Al Bryant, Melvin Franklin, Paul Williams, and Eddie Kendricks. The band was formed as The Elgins with the original five members in 1960.

In 1961, the band was rebranded as The Temptations after it was discovered that another band was already using the name The Elgins. At the time, Bryant and Eddie served as the group's tenors, Otis was the baritone, Paul Williams was the second tenor, and Melvin Franklin played the bass.

In 1964, Edbridge was fired from the group due to his uncooperative behavior with the team. David Ruffin was hired as Bryant's replacement but his tenure with the band also didn't last long. He was eventually replaced by Dennis Edwards in 1968.

Similarly, Ricky Owens replaced Eddie Kendricks as one of the tenors in 1971. The same year, Richard Street joined The Temptations as the second tenor after Paul Williams also quit the band.

In the subsequent years, several more members joined and left the group, including Damon Harris, Glenn Leonard, Louis Price, David Ruffin, Ali-Ollie Woodson, and more.

How Many Temptations Were There In All?

The Temptations has had 27 members in total since its formation in 1961. The band has mostly maintained a line of five members with two tenors, one baritone, one second tenor, and one bass.

From April to May 1971, the band was left with only 4 members for the first time. The Temptations performed with only four members on two more occasions in 1995 and 2019-2020. Similarly, during the 1982 reunion tour, the group performed with seven members.

Here is a list of all the members of The Temptations from its beginning to the current year.

1. Otis Williams

Years Active With The Temptations: (1961-Present)

Role: Baritone

2. Melvin Franklin

Years Active With The Temptations: (1961-1995)

Role: Bass

Died:  February 23, 1995 (52 Years Old)

3. Elbridge 'Al' Bryant

Years Active With The Temptations: (1961-1963)

Role: Tenor

Died: October 26, 1975 (36 Years Old)

4. Eddie Kendricks

Years Active With The Temptations: (1961-1971, 1982)

Role: Tenor

Died: October 5, 1992 (52 Years Old)

5. Paul Williams

Years Active With The Temptations: (1961-1971)

Role: Baritone

Died: August 17, 1973 (34 Years Old)

6. David Ruffin

Years Active With The Temptations: (1964-1968, 1982)

Role: Tenor

Died: June 1, 1991 (50 Years Old)

7. Dennis Edwards

Years Active With The Temptations: (1968-1977, 1980-1984, 1987-1989)

Role: Tenor

Died: February 1, 2018 (74 Years Old)

8. Ricky Owens

Years Active With The Temptations: (1971)

Role: Tenor

Died: December 6, 1996 (57 Years Old)

9. Richard Street

Years Active With The Temptations: (1971-1992)

Role: Second Tenor/Baritone

Died: February 27, 2013 (70 Years Old)

10. Damon Harris

Years Active With The Temptations: (1971-1975)

Role: Tenor

Died: February 18, 2013 (62 Years Old)

11. Glenn Leonard

Years Active With The Temptations: (1975-1983)

Role: Tenor

Age: 76 Years Old (Born: June 11, 1947)

12. Louis Price

Years Active With The Temptations: (1977-1980)

Role: Baritenor

Age: 70 Years Old (Born: March 29, 1953)

13. Ron Tyson

Years Active With The Temptations: (1983-Present)

Role: Tenor

Age: 75 Years Old (Born: February 8, 1948)

14. Ali-Ollie Woodson

Years Active With The Temptations: (1984-1987, 1989-1997)

Role: Tenor

Died: May 30, 2010 (58 Years Old)

15. Theo Peoples

Years Active With The Temptations: (1992-1998)

Role: Second Tenor

Age: 62 Years Old (Born: January 24, 1961)

16. Ray Davis

Years Active With The Temptations: (1995)

Role: Bass

Died: July 5, 2005 (65 Years Old)

17. Harry McGilberry

Years Active With The Temptations: (1996-2003)

Role: Bass

Died: April 3, 2006 (56 Years Old)

18. Terry Weeks

Years Active With The Temptations: (1997-Present)

Role: Second Tenor

Age: 59 Years Old (December 23, 1963)

19. Barrington 'Bo' Henderson

Years Active With The Temptations: (1998-2003)

Role: Tenor

Age: 67 Years Old (Born: June 10, 1956)

20. GC Cameron

Years Active With The Temptations: (2003-2007)

Role: Tenor/Baritenor

Age: 77 Years Old (Born: September 21, 1945)

21. Joe Herndon

Years Active With The Temptations: (2003-2015)

Role: Bass

Age: 74 Years Old (Born: January 5, 1949)

22. Bruce Williamson

Years Active With The Temptations: (2007-2015)

Role: Baritenor

Died: September 6, 2020 (49 Years Old)

23. Larry Braggs

Years Active With The Temptations: (2016-2019)

Role: Tenor

24. Willie Greene

Years Active With The Temptations: (2016-2022)

Role: Bass

25. Mario Corbino

Years Active With The Temptations: (2020-2021)

Role: Tenor

26. Tony Grant

Years Active With The Temptations: (2021-Present)

Role: Tenor

Age: 55 Years Old (Born: October 22, 1967)

27. Jawan M. Jackson

Years Active With The Temptations: (2022-Present)

Role: Bass

Age: 36 Years Old (April 24, 1987)