Otis Williams Birthday & Fun Facts

Otis Williams Birthday Highlights

Birth Name

Otis Miles Jr.

Place Of Birth

Texarkana, USA

Age

82 years old

Birth Date

October 30 1941

Otis Williams Facts

Child Star?

no

Occupation

Singer

Education & Qualifications

Northwestern High School Detroit

Net Worth

$8,000,000

Children

Otis Lamont Williams, Elan Carter, Theron Derrick

Parents

Hazel Louise Williams, Otis Miles

Singer Otis Williams is most remembered for his tenure as a member of the iconic Motown group, The Temptations.

Williams was the group's sole surviving member. However, he is a singer and composer better remembered as a co-founder of the Motown group, The Temptations, under Otis Williams.

Since 1958, he has been a prominent part of the music scene. Induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 was most likely the pinnacle of his career. Because he got a Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in 2006, he is thus known as Dr Williams.

What is Otis Williams’ net worth?

Otis Williams is an $8 million singer from the United States.

How much does Otis Williams earn per year?

The exact annual earnings of Otis Williams are not made public.

How tall is Otis Williams?

Otis Williams stands 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) tall.

How old is Otis Williams?

As of 2021, Otis Williams is 80 years old. Otis Williams' star sign is Scorpio, as per astrologers.

Otis Williams was birthed to the elder Otis Miles and Hazel Louise Williams on October 30, 1941, in Texarkana, Texas. He is a baritone singer and a part of the iconic R&B group, The Temptations. Williams, with his mother, moved to Detroit, Michigan, when he was 10 years old, and he adopted his mother's surname. He was reared by both of his grandparents and discovered his passion for music as a youngster.

Williams went to Northwestern High School of Detroit in 1955, where he met future Temptations Richard Street and Melvin Franklin. As a teenager, Williams grew interested in music and formed singing groups with his friends, including Otis Williams and the Siberians, The Distants, and The El Domingoes. He's known as Big Daddy and has many musical accomplishments.

Who is Otis Williams’ partner?

Williams wedded Josephine Rodgers in 1961, and they separated in 1964. He married Ann Cain between 1967-1973, and then Arleata, his third wife, from 1983 until their divorce in 1997. Otis Williams III was his son, while model Elan Carter is his daughter.

Best Known For…

Before his breaking and commercial success, Williams had been a member of several singing groups, including The Distants, El Domingos, and Otis Williams and the Siberians. Otis and his band The Distants had a hit with 'Come On' in 1959. Still, their subsequent singles were not as popular as their first. In 1960, Otis left The Distants and eventually shifted his focus to The Temptations and performed for Gordy, who immediately offered them a recording deal. Williams began playing at local bars in Detroit as a part of The Temptations and singing backup for numerous Motown acts.

The Temptations were formed in 1961, and their debut album, 'Meet The Temptations', was published in 1964, featuring their first big single, 'The Way You Do The Things You Do'. The group has recorded 43 studio albums and distributed millions of copies, making them one of the most successful music groups in history. The Temptations then achieved commercial success in 1962 with the release of their record '(You're My) Dream Come True'. Founding member Al Bryant departed the group a year afterward, and tenor David Ruffin took his place. The Temptations' lineup would constantly change, with Williams seeing more than 25 various members during his time with the group. Following the death of founding partner Melvin Franklin in 1995, Otis Williams became the Temptation's longest-serving member.

'Sky's The Limit' (1971), 'All Directions' (1972), 'A Song For You' (1975), 'Phoenix Rising' (1998), and 'Masterpiece' (1973) are some of the group's most popular albums, which yielded several songs such as 'Papa Was A Rollin' Stone', 'My Girl', and 'Just My Imagination', among others.

The Temptations had several creative conflicts with Gordy in the mid-'70s. They joined Atlantic Records in 1976 and stayed with them until 1979 when they returned to Motown in 1980. Even though Williams would rarely sing lead on any of the band's songs, he has appeared on all of their albums. 'Meet The Temptations' in 1964, 'Cloud Nine' in 1968, 'The Temptin' Temptations' in 1965, 'Temptations Do The Temptations' in 1976, 'Psychedelic Shack' in 1970, 'Back To Basics' in 1983, 'Together Again' in 1987, 'Bare Back' in 1978, and 'Phoenix Rising' in 1998 are among his albums.

Otis has rarely been the main vocalist, focusing instead on background vocals and functioning as the group's leader, even though he is the only founder member of the group still alive. While he has fond memories of most of the Temps' founders, he will always remain closest to David Ruffin, Paul Williams, Eddie Kendricks, and Melvin Franklin, who formed the group in the first place, referring to their union as a fantastic relationship. Overall, Otis' journey was a success, as he received multiple accolades while a part of the group, and he reached the pinnacle of his career in 1989 when he was elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Williams resides in Los Angeles, California as of June 2022.

Williams was birthed in 1941 in Texarkana, Texas. He is most known for being a co-founding singer of The Temptations in the ’60s and is the only original member still alive.

What awards has Otis Williams won?

The Temptations have won several prizes, including the Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Album, Best R&B Instrumental Performace for 'Papa Was A Rollin' Stone', and a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2013 in the 55th annual Grammy Awards. In May 2006, Williams was awarded an honorary doctorate by Stillman College.

Otis Williams’ Hobbies And Interests

Williams's interests are unknown.

• On April 1, 2008, Williams was profiled by The HistoryMakers. Otis Williams is not active on social media.
• The Temptations' lineup has changed several times over its career, with Dennis Edwards, David Ruffin, Ron Tyson, Richard Street, and others among the more noteworthy members.
• The Temptations' singles '(I Know) I'm Losing You' as well as 'Ain't Too Proud To Beg' were written by producer-songwriter Norman Whitfield; however, Williams said that Motown CEO Berry Gordy didn't want the band to play Holland-Dozier-Holland tunes.
• Williams co-wrote 'Temptations', a 1988 novel that functioned as the group's history, and his autobiography with Patricia Romanowski. 'The Temptations', an NBC television series, was based on the novel ten years later. Actor Charles Malik Whitfield played Williams.
• Despite his remarkable vocal presence and essential part in the growth of the traditional five-piece line-up, with Melvin Franklin and the solitary survivor in the contemporary Temptations, Otis Williams, Paul would be a lesser-known figure than either Kendricks or Ruffin.
• While having the most extended stay in the Temptations, Williams seldom sings lead, preferring to focus on his roles as the group's leader and organizer and the backdrop baritone.