Character guide
Eddie Kendricks
from Ain't Too Proud
Eddie Kendricks is a supporting character in Ain't Too Proud, the 2019 musical about the Temptations, known for his soaring falsetto and his rivalry with fellow member David Ruffin.
- Show
- Ain't Too Proud
- Broadway premiere
- 2019
- Role
- Supporting
- Music by
- Kenny Seymour
Who is Eddie Kendricks?
Eddie Kendricks is one of the Temptations' founding members, prized for a light, soaring falsetto that becomes one of the group's signature sounds. Proud and increasingly frustrated by the group's internal politics, he chafes at decisions he disagrees with, particularly as David Ruffin's behavior threatens the group's stability.
His relationship with Otis Williams and the rest of the group grows strained over creative and personal disagreements, and his eventual departure marks one of several painful lineup changes the show tracks across the Temptations' history.
Eddie Kendricks's role in Ain't Too Proud
Eddie Kendricks is a supporting role that leans heavily on vocal precision, since his falsetto features prominently in some of the group's best known harmonies. Jeremy Pope originated the role on Broadway, earning a Tony nomination for a performance praised for its clear, soaring tone and quiet emotional depth.
Audiences remember Kendricks for the beauty of his upper register and for representing the quieter, more principled voice within a group often defined by louder personalities.
Eddie Kendricks on stage vs screen
Broadway compared with the 1998 NBC miniseries The Temptations
In the 1998 NBC miniseries The Temptations, Terron Brooks played Eddie Kendricks, the only member who does not vote to fire David Ruffin. The miniseries follows Eddie out of the group, when he and an ailing Paul Williams are replaced, and notes his death from lung cancer in October 1992.
Jeremy Pope originated Eddie in Ain't Too Proud on Broadway in 2019, earning a Tony nomination for the role.
Eddie Kendricks: frequently asked questions
What show is Eddie Kendricks from?
Eddie Kendricks is a supporting character in Ain't Too Proud, which opened on Broadway in 2019.
Is Eddie Kendricks a lead or supporting role?
Eddie Kendricks is a supporting role, known for his falsetto vocals as a founding member of the Temptations.
Who wrote the music for Ain't Too Proud?
Ain't Too Proud is a jukebox musical of the Temptations' Motown catalog, with Kenny Seymour as music supervisor and arranger and Harold Wheeler as orchestrator.
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