Pop to the Hall – Part Two

The America’s Pop Music Hall of Fame announced its latest inductees, and this honor will be bestowed to Neil Sedaka, Barry Manilow, The Temptations, Barbra Streisand, The Grass Roots, Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Lettermen, the Association, and Three Dog Night. Let’s take another look at the inductees as we continue part two of “Pop To The Hall.”

What can you say about the Temptations that hasn’t already been said? The group is in the Rock ‘N Roll, Songwriters, NAACP, BET, Michigan, and Billboard Hall of Fame. The group began in the early years of Barry Gordy’s Motown business, run out of his Grand River home in the late 50s and early 60s.

The Temptations have sold nearly 75 million records, and have won every award or honor ever created. Here are three things about the Temps you may not have known: Paul Williams was ill towards the end of the run and lip synced his vocals, a second singer behind the curtain sang his parts. The Temptations were the first Motown act to win a Grammy, and finally, Otis Williams is the last surviving member of the Temptations at the age of 75.

Barry Manilow once met Bette Midler in a New York City bathhouse, and it took them 30 years to tell that story out loud. Barry Alan Pincus was born in Brooklyn in 1939, and has sold nearly 90 million records worldwide. Barry adopted his mother’s maiden name for business purposes, and his first hit was a ballad called “Mandy.” The song was originally written as “Brandy,” but the record label made the name change to avoid confusion with the Looking Glass hit of the same name.

Barry wrote the radio jingles for State Farm Insurance, McDonalds, Band Aid and more to stay afloat financially till his music career took off.

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