Entertainment
Former Temptation member Damon Harris dead at 61
- Details
-
19 Feb 2013
- Written by Tri-State Defender Newsroom
Former Temptation member Damon Harris (born Otis Robert Harris Jr.) died Monday at 7:17 p.m. at the age of 61.
Harris was born on July 17, 1950 in Baltimore, Md. He took the place of Eddie Kendrick, one of the original lead singers of the Temptations group. His tenure was from 1971 to 1975.
The youngest member of The Temptations during his stint with the group, Harris was only 20 when he came aboard. Later, he formed a Temptations tribute band named The Young Tempts (aka The Young Vandals). The group had a release that charted on the Isley Brothers label T-Neck.
Harris also had a few minor regional hits in the group 'Impact.' In the 70's, Harris put out an album titled "Damon Harris: Silk" under Fantasy records after leaving the Temptations. He re-released the album under his own accord in 1995.
While making a comeback into the music industry, Harris was diagnosed with prostate cancer. In 1997, the Motown Alumni Association started working with Harris on the creation of the Damon Harris Prostate Cancer Foundation in Canton, Mich. Though the project did not fully materialize, Harris continued to nurture and build awareness of the devastating disease.
Harris toured around the world with fellow future Temptations member Glenn Leonard.
To hear Harris speak at the John Hopkins Hospital:
http://youtu.be/fkUWZmsfQtE
