Detroit · Motown · 1961–1971
Five men, five different counts.
Five singers from Detroit who danced with elegant precision. Bring them into step, and their stages open.
The Temptations in step: a Motown advertisement in Billboard, 11 May 1968, with David Ruffin at the left. Motown Records (public domain, no notice).
Detroit, the 1950s
Otis came north from Texarkana, Texas, at eleven, to join his mother and his stepfather, who worked on the assembly line at Ford. After the Siberians and the El Domingos come Otis Williams and the Distants, with Melvin Franklin and Richard Street; they release his song “Come On”.
Hutchins Junior High
Otis Williams sang in the halls of Hutchins Junior High, harmonising between classes with his classmate Lamont Dozier, later of Holland-Dozier-Holland.
Historic Detroit lists Smokey Robinson, Martha Reeves, Diana Ross and Aretha Franklin among its pupils. Historic Detroit lists the building as closed; the last programme in it ended in 2009.
The school is closed. See the building from Woodrow Wilson Street; there is no way in.
The Fox Theatre, Woodward Avenue
In high school Otis went to rock ’n’ roll shows at the Fox, with acts like Chuck Berry, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers and the Cadillacs. Taken with the performers and the roar of the crowd, he decided to put his own group together.
The Fox opened on 21 September 1928, designed by C. Howard Crane, with 5,048 seats. It was fully restored in 1988 and made a National Historic Landmark in 1989.
A working theatre: go to a show. The box office opens on event days only, from noon.
Philadelphia Street and Euclid Avenue
In 1964 he asked David Ruffin, a long-time friend, to join. They lived a block apart: Otis on Philadelphia Street, Ruffin on Euclid Avenue.
His first groups were the Siberians, the El Domingos and the Distants, who released his song “Come On” in 1959.
Private homes, named by their streets only and not mapped. Nothing to visit.
2648 West Grand Boulevard, 1961
Gordy first noticed Otis’s group in 1960, singing “Come On” at St. Stephen’s Community Center in Detroit, and told him to come and see him. In 1961 Otis got an audition with Mickey Stevenson, who called Gordy in; Gordy offered the group a contract on the spot.
Day one: five jobs
Tap a name to hand him his job.
1960s
Through Motown’s artist development, Cholly Atkins, once half of a famous dance duo, works out many of the group’s signature moves and drills them until they are perfect. The Temptation Walk carries their name.
1964
“The Way You Do the Things You Do” reaches No. 11 on the pop chart.
1966
Norman Whitfield becomes the group’s producer with “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg”.
1968
“Cloud Nine”, produced by Whitfield, wins Motown its first Grammy.
Hitsville U.S.A., West Grand Boulevard
Berry Gordy bought the two-family flat at 2648 West Grand Boulevard in 1959; it was Motown’s headquarters until 1968. Studio A keeps original instruments and recording equipment from 1959 to 1972.
Guided tours paused on 20 January 2026 for building work, with a reopening planned for spring 2027. See the house from West Grand Boulevard, and check motownmuseum.org first.
Detroit, Michigan · Reopening planned for spring 2027
Guided tours of the house and Studio A paused on 20 January 2026 while the museum builds; it is preparing to reopen in spring 2027. Watch the booking page for dates.
Check reopeningCholly Atkins’s rehearsal room
Through Motown’s artist development, Cholly Atkins, once half of a famous dance duo, works out many of the group’s signature moves and drills them until they are perfect. The Temptation Walk carries their name. Tap a man to move him on one count. When all five match, the photograph is whole and a stage they played opens.
2 of 5 on the same count.
Run-through 1 of 5 · 0 of 5 stages open
Nothing open yet. Five stages wait: Detroit’s river club, Harlem, Brooklyn, East 60th Street and Broadway.
The front microphone
Name a record and the man who sang it steps up to the front mic. The voices are the Motown Museum’s words.
The mic is free.
26 December 1964
Motown releases “My Girl”, written by Smokey Robinson and Ronnie White. It becomes the group’s first No. 1 pop hit.
1965
At the Apollo a telegram arrives from Berry Gordy, the Supremes, the Beatles and others: “My Girl” is No. 1.
1968
David Ruffin leaves and Dennis Edwards, formerly of the Contours, takes his place.
1697 Broadway, Sunday nights
After the Supremes and the Temptations’ “TCB” in 1968, the two groups star in a second prime-time special, “G.I.T. on Broadway”.
The Ed Sullivan Theater
The theatre was landmarked in 1988 and must stay in use as a theatre; CBS has announced no plans for it since the Late Show ended.
The Late Show left in May 2026 and no new use has been announced. See the front and the marquee from Broadway.
Cleveland and Birmingham
The Temptations were inducted in 1989, by Daryl Hall and John Oates. The Hall says they set the bar for Motown vocal groups with snappy stage moves and elegant harmonies.
Eddie Kendrick Memorial Park, Birmingham
Ronald Scott McDowell’s statue catches him mid-move; the four other Temptations stand in the granite wall behind him, in their choreography.
The park honours Eddie Kendricks, born in Birmingham in 1937 (the park spells it Kendrick). The bureau counts “The Way You Do the Things You Do”, in 1964, as the first of 37 Top Ten hits.
A public park in Birmingham’s Civil Rights District, a block from the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland
Before the big hits they toured outside Michigan, playing Cleveland with Gladys Knight and the Pips and the Halos.
From September to June it opens every day 10am–5pm, Thursdays until 9pm. Adult tickets are $45.
10 places you can visit, from Detroit to Birmingham. Hutchins is closed and Hitsville’s tours are paused until spring 2027; the Brooklyn Fox and the Copa are gone, and the two family streets are private and not mapped.
Pins mark public places; private homes are named but not pinned.
General reference · Restricted access · Coordinate precision: site · Not an exact scene or camera position; not a visitor route. The school is closed. See the building from Woodrow Wilson Street; there is no way in.
General reference · Public access · Coordinate precision: building · Not an exact scene or camera position; not a visitor route. A working theatre: go to a show. The box office opens on event days only, from noon.
General reference · Public access · Coordinate precision: building · Not an exact scene or camera position; not a visitor route. Guided tours paused on 20 January 2026 for building work, with a reopening planned for spring 2027. See the house from West Grand Boulevard, and check motownmuseum.org first.
General reference · Restricted access · Coordinate precision: site · Not an exact scene or camera position; not a visitor route. A family-run riverside events venue, mostly hired privately; it holds a few public events a year, such as Christmas at the Tail in December.
8820 Woodrow Wilson Street, Detroit
Otis Williams sang in the halls of Hutchins Junior High, harmonising between classes with his classmate Lamont Dozier, later of Holland-Dozier-Holland.
The school is closed. See the building from Woodrow Wilson Street; there is no way in.
2211 Woodward Avenue, Detroit
In high school Otis went to rock ’n’ roll shows at the Fox, with acts like Chuck Berry, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers and the Cadillacs.
A working theatre: go to a show. The box office opens on event days only, from noon.
2648 West Grand Boulevard, Detroit
Berry Gordy bought the two-family flat at 2648 West Grand Boulevard in 1959; it was Motown’s headquarters until 1968.
Guided tours paused on 20 January 2026 for building work, with a reopening planned for spring 2027. See the house from West Grand Boulevard, and check motownmuseum.org first.
100 Marquette Drive, Detroit, on the Detroit River
Temptations Live was recorded at the Rooster Tail on 3 October 1966. It is the only live album with David Ruffin.
A family-run riverside events venue, mostly hired privately; it holds a few public events a year, such as Christmas at the Tail in December.
Stay
Victorian houses on East Ferry Street, a short drive from West Grand Boulevard.
84 East Ferry Street, Detroit · Book direct · 313-351-9054
Thirty-three rooms in four restored Victorian houses and a carriage house in Midtown, a short drive down to West Grand Boulevard; coffee, tea and fruit round the clock. Some rooms are up stairs. Pictured: Hitsville.
Check roomsGo there
The Apollo’s tour, the Rock Hall, Hitsville’s reopening, and music walks in Detroit and Harlem.
Detroit, Michigan · Reopening planned for spring 2027
Guided tours of the house and Studio A paused on 20 January 2026 while the museum builds; it is preparing to reopen in spring 2027. Watch the booking page for dates.
Check reopening253 West 125th Street, Harlem · $17 · Mon & Wed 11am and 1pm, Sat 11am
Part performance, part history lecture, led by Billy “Mr. Apollo” Mitchell, while the historic theatre is closed for renovation. By reservation only; in English; no refunds.
Reserve a tour1100 Rock & Roll Boulevard, Cleveland · Adults $45 · ages 6–12 $30 · 5 and under free
The museum on Cleveland’s lakefront that inducted the Temptations in 1989. Open every day 10am–5pm from September to June, Thursdays until 9pm.
Plan a visitDetroit
Live marketplace results for Motown and Detroit music tours. Hitsville’s own tours are paused, so check each itinerary for the stops it really makes.
Live marketplace results · itineraries change
Compare toursNew York
Live marketplace results for music walks in Harlem and Manhattan. Check each itinerary for the stops it really makes.
Live marketplace results · itineraries change
Compare toursWhat’s on
Otis Williams leads the Temptations at the Fisher Theatre, and the Roostertail opens for Christmas.
Checking current event dates…
Take it home
Otis Williams’s book and the Temptations on Gordy and Motown, 1964–1969.
Otis Williams with Patricia Romanowski
Otis Williams’s own account of the group, from Texarkana and Detroit onwards.
Find the bookThe Temptations · LP, Gordy, 1964
Their first album, from 1964.
Live marketplace search · listings and condition change
Find a copyThe Temptations · LP, Gordy, 1965
The 1965 album of Smokey Robinson songs, with “My Girl”.
Live marketplace search · listings and condition change
Find a copyThe Temptations · LP, Gordy, 1969
The title song won Motown its first Grammy and began Whitfield’s psychedelic turn.
Live marketplace search · listings and condition change
Find a copyThe Temptations · CD reissue, Motown, 1986
The 1968 Copacabana album on a 1986 CD; search for the Gordy LP too.
Live marketplace search · listings and condition change
Find a copyDates, prices, rooms and stock change: confirm with the provider before you travel or buy. A stay or tour is described as a filming location only where the card says so.
Every place and moment behind this page, with sources.
11 of 11 places · 32 of 32 Moments
8820 Woodrow Wilson Street, Detroit
Otis harmonises between classes at Hutchins Junior High with his classmate Lamont Dozier.
2211 Woodward Avenue, Detroit
At rock ’n’ roll shows at the Fox, with Chuck Berry, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers and the Cadillacs, Otis decides to start a group.
Philadelphia Street and Euclid Avenue, Detroit
Otis Williams, born in Texarkana, Texas, on 30 October 1941, moves to Detroit at eleven; his stepfather works on the assembly line at Ford.
After the Siberians and the El Domingos come Otis Williams and the Distants, with Melvin Franklin and Richard Street; they release his song “Come On”.
Al Bryant has left; Otis asks David Ruffin, who lives a block away, to join. The Classic Five is complete.
2648 West Grand Boulevard, Detroit
Berry Gordy hears the group sing “Come On” at St. Stephen’s Community Center and tells Otis to come and see him.
Mickey Stevenson auditions the group, now with Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams, calls Gordy in, and Gordy offers a contract on the spot. A few days before signing they become the Temptations.
From the start, Otis says, he was the link to management and Melvin the treasurer; Paul planned the shows and the choreography, Al Bryant the transport, Eddie the wardrobe.
Almost any of the five can take the lead: Eddie’s sweet falsetto on “Just My Imagination”, Paul’s gritty baritone on “Don’t Look Back”, Melvin’s rumbling bass on “Old Man River”, David’s soulful second tenor on “Beauty Is Only Skin-Deep”.
“The Way You Do the Things You Do” reaches No. 11 on the pop chart.
Through Motown’s artist development, Cholly Atkins, once half of a famous dance duo, works out many of the group’s signature moves and drills them until they are perfect. The Temptation Walk carries their name.
Norman Whitfield becomes the group’s producer with “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg”.
“Cloud Nine”, produced by Whitfield, wins Motown its first Grammy.
Guided tours at Hitsville pause for construction, ahead of a reopening in spring 2027.
100 Marquette Drive, Detroit, on the Detroit River
Temptations Live is recorded at the Rooster Tail, the only live album with David Ruffin.
253 West 125th Street, Harlem, New York
The group’s Apollo debut is as backing singers for Mary Wells, then Motown’s leading star.
At the Apollo a telegram arrives from Berry Gordy, the Supremes, the Beatles and others: “My Girl” is No. 1.
20 Flatbush Avenue at Nevins Street, Brooklyn
A Motortown Revue show at the Brooklyn Fox with the Supremes, the Marvelettes, Marvin Gaye, the Miracles and Stevie Wonder.
Motown releases “My Girl”, written by Smokey Robinson and Ronnie White. It becomes the group’s first No. 1 pop hit.
Demolition of the Brooklyn Fox, begun the previous November, is finished; Con Edison builds on the site.
1697 Broadway, between West 53rd and 54th Streets, New York
First time on Sullivan’s stage, in yellow and brown suits with long tails, singing a medley of hits.
With the Supremes on a bright pink stage, each group sings the other’s hits.
Back on Sullivan in grey jumpsuits with the new line-up, singing “Cloud Nine” and “Runaway Child”.
After the Supremes and the Temptations’ “TCB” in 1968, the two groups star in a second prime-time special, “G.I.T. on Broadway”.
On Sullivan they show off their new psychedelic sound with “Psychedelic Shack”.
Their last Sullivan show closes with “Just My Imagination”.
The Late Show leaves the Ed Sullivan Theater; CBS announces no new use.
10 East 60th Street, New York
David Ruffin leaves and Dennis Edwards, formerly of the Contours, takes his place.
Live at the Copa, recorded at the supper club with Dennis Edwards singing lead, is released.
The Copacabana on East 60th Street closes.
1100 Rock & Roll Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio
The Temptations are inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by Daryl Hall and John Oates.
4th Avenue North at 18th Street, Birmingham, Alabama
A park at 4th Avenue North and 18th Street honours Eddie Kendricks, with the other four Temptations in the wall behind him.
