Damon Harris

Otis Robert "Damon" Harris Jr. (July 17, 1950 – February 18, 2013) was an American soul and R&B singer, most notable as a member of The Temptations from 1971 to 1975.

[3] As a teenager growing up in Baltimore, Maryland, Harris was a major Temptations fan, and idolized in particular the group's falsetto, Eddie Kendricks.

Patterning himself after Kendricks, Harris and his friends John Quinton Simms, Charles Timmons (also known as Kareem Ali, who went on to perform with Glenn Leonard's Temptations Revue), and Donald Knute Tighman, formed a Temptations-inspired vocal group during his high school years called The Young Tempts ("Tempts" being a nickname for the Temptations).

[citation needed] After two more T-Neck singles, " In My Opinion" and "I'm Gonna Wait For You", The Young Vandals broke up, because Harris felt that college would be a more sensible endeavor than a singing career.

[citation needed] In April 1971, a friend convinced Harris to audition for The Temptations, at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C. Eddie Kendricks had left the group and was replaced with Ricky Owens from The Vibrations.

[6] Harris' first album with the Temptations was Solid Rock, performing falsetto vocals on hits such as "Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)" (1971) and "Take a Look Around" (1972).

[7] Harris later provided vocals on the hit single "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" (1972, a three-time Grammy Award winner), "Masterpiece" (1973), and "Plastic Man" (1973).

"[9] During a performance at the Apollo Theater, Harris gave an impromptu speech, thanking the audience on behalf of the group for helping them to "buy these fine mink coats and beautiful cars and homes and diamonds".

[11][12] After leaving the Temptations, Harris reformed The Young Vandals with Simms, Timmons (Kareem Ali), and Tilghman, renaming the group Impact.

After graduating, he worked as a music teacher for special education students at Earl Wooster High School in Reno, Nevada.

[20] On May 5, 2001, South Jersey radio host Tim Marshall organized the first Damon Harris Cancer Foundation Benefit Gala held in Mount Laurel NJ.