Temptations' Otis Williams Calls John Legend a 'Throwback'

Posted on Jan 18th 2010 12:00PM by Pat Pemberton
Comments

According to Temptations founder Otis Williams, few of today's singers compare to the great Motown acts of the day. But John Legend, he says, stacks up.

"I love John Legend's delivery, his tone of voice, the way he sings," Williams tells Spinner. "He's just like a throwback to the era that I grew up in."

Coming from Williams -- who witnessed soul deities like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross up close -- that's a huge compliment.

"I listen to some of the singers out today and I must say I'm not impressed," says Williams, whose Grammy-winning Temptations scored numerous hits in the '60s and '70s. "Coming up during my time if you were to ask me, 'Otis, who do you like?' I could rattle them off -- bam, bam, bam. Now if you were to ask me that, John Legend would be one, [and] Alicia Keys. I like Beyonce's interpretations."

Legend has covered 'Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing' by Wonder, but he's yet to record any song made famous by the Temptations. When asked which Temps tunes he'd like to hear Legend perform, Williams needed no time to deliberate. "I would like to hear him sing like three or four of ours," he said, "like 'My Girl,' 'Since I Lost My Baby' and 'Just My Imagination.' He's just one of those singers and musicians that God sprinkles among us every so often."