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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 since 2000 has toured with his Glenn Leonard's Temptations Revue.
Leonard recorded with the groups The Chancellors, The Unifics, Instant Groove and True Reflection before he was asked to replace ousted Temptations member Damon Harris. 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 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]
He returned to music in 2000, performing with Glenn Leonard's Temptations Revue, a group which has featured several other former members of The Temptations over the years, including GC Cameron, Ray Davis 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.
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.