When producer Norman Whitfield assigned Edwards to sing the first verse of the song Papa Was a Rolling Stone, Edwards refused because in real life Edwards’ own father had died on the third of September, just like the father in the song. This angered Edwards, as he believed Whitfield had purposely assigned it to him to get under his skin. Whitfield denied having done so on purpose, but used it to his advantage, forcing Edwards to sing the verse anyway and using Edwards’ personal anger to set the tone of the song. This rift eventually led to Whitfield being fired as the group’s producer. Edwards was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 (as a member of The Temptations). Dennis Edwards was portrayed Charles Ley in the 1998 biographical miniseries based on The Temptations. The Temptations were awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 7060 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California. Dennis Edwards died on February, 1 2018 at the age of 74.
