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Glenn Leonard | |
|---|---|
| Born | Glenn Carl Leonard June 11, 1947 Washington, DC, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 1962– |
| Formerly of | The Temptations |
Glenn Carl Leonard (born June 11, 1947 in Washington, D.C.) is an American R&B and soul singer best remembered for serving as the first tenor and secondary lead singer of the Motown quintet The Temptations[1] from 1975 to 1983, and for the last 25 years has toured world-wide with his Glenn Leonard's Temptations Revue.
Leonard recorded with the groups the Chancellors, Instant Groove and True Reflection before he was asked to replace ousted Temptations member Damon Harris (who'd replaced Ricky Owens). Leonard joined the group in 1975, just before they recorded the hit Shaky Ground. Leonard's most notable Temptations leads were on the 1980 single Power, and on the Christmas classic Silent Night from their 1980 Christmas album, Give Love At Christmas. He was replaced by Ron Tyson in 1983.[citation needed]
Leonard is a native of Washington D.C., second oldest of 8 children born 1947 to Gennie and Pearlie Leonard, natives of North Carolina. As a child, he was raised between Washington and North Carolina. He started singing at the age of six, and by age 13 he began to earn a living performing on stage, at parties and concerts, and as a recording artist. Leonard successfully established three groups by the time he was in his early 20s: The Chancellors, The Instant Groove, and The True Reflections. He was also a member of another popular and successful recording group from Washington called The Unifics. He recorded his first record with his first group, The Chancellors, on Cap City Records, a subsidiary of Scepter Records, and later recorded with The True Reflection, on Atlantic Records.
Leonard then came to the attention of the Temptations in 1975. He had a notable career as their first tenor and lead singer from 1975-1983 encompassing ten albums with the supergroup. His most noted songs include I’m on Fire, Go for It, The Best of Both Worlds, Eyes, Ever Ready Love, and Silent Night from their Christmas Album.[citation needed]
Leonard was a part of The Temptations "Reunion" tour and album in 1982, featuring The Classic Five lineup (excluding Paul Williams who had passed away in 1973). While with the group, The Temptations appeared on American Bandstand, The Midnight Special, Soul Train and other popular national programs.[citation needed]
After parting ways with the group in 1983, and being replaced by Ron Tyson, Leonard became a born-again Christian, entered into full-time ministry and was licensed in 1986. He became ordained and received a doctorate degree in the early 1990s.[citation needed]
Leonard was portrayed by Benjamin J. Cain Jr. in the 1998 biographical television mini-series The Temptations, though he was not heavily focused upon, as the mini-series gave more attention to the Ruffin/Kendricks-era Temptations line up.
Currently, Leonard is touring with Glenn Leonard's Temptations Revue, a group which has featured several other former members of The Temptations over the years, including GC Cameron and Joe Herndon. Current members of this group are Kareem Ali, Andre Jackson, Melvin Franklin, Jr. (the son of The Temptations original bass singer Melvin Franklin) and Shelton Price. This group has performed throughout the world, including Europe and South America, since approximately 2000.
For several years during the 2000s, Leonard joined childhood friends and fellow lead vocalists Joe Coleman of The Platters and Joe Blunt of The Drifters and created a new group called Leonard, Coleman & Blunt. "Leonard, Coleman & Blunt concert attendees are now treated to incredible showmanship, classic dance moves and some of the biggest hits of all time, including My Girl, The Way You Do The Things You Do, Get Ready.[2]
Leonard, Coleman & Blunt, performed at the WPXI Holiday Parade (formerly the Macy's Parade) in Pittsburgh, PA November 29, 2014.[3] On occasion the band has toured with America's Got Talent season six winner Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. including performing with the Huntington Symphony Orchestra in the summer of 2013.
Leonard recorded a duet of "Silent Night" with Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. for Landau's "Christmas Made For Two" album, reprising his role as lead vocalist on the Temptations classic version of the holiday favorite. This collaboration came from their association touring with Leonard, Coleman and Blunt.