{"id":2411,"date":"2015-10-12T06:00:48","date_gmt":"2015-10-12T11:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/keenerpodcast.com\/?p=2411"},"modified":"2015-10-11T18:52:25","modified_gmt":"2015-10-11T23:52:25","slug":"we-love-you-and-miss-you-blue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/keener13.org\/?p=2411","title":{"rendered":"We Love You And Miss You, Blue"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Melvin<\/a>By Bob Berry<\/p>\n

“Blue”.<\/p>\n

You probably know him as Melvin Franklin<\/strong><\/a>. You may only know of him as the “and the band played on” guy from Motown’s Temptations<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Melvin, who hooked up with Northwester High School classmate Otis Williams<\/strong><\/a> to join Otis’ first group The Distants in 1958, was the soul, the fat-bottom, “the glue guy”, the one, who along with Otis, never left Motown’s original and greatest Fab Five.<\/p>\n

Until he died, far too young in 1995, of complications from cortisone treatments for arthritis.<\/p>\n

Today, 10\/12, would have been “Blue’s” 72nd birthday. Put on some of those old Motown Records<\/strong><\/a> and listen closely to Melvin’s rich bass voice on these vocal only mixes of The Temptations’ hits, from “Ain’t Too Proud To Be<\/strong><\/a>g”, to “My Girl<\/strong><\/a>” and yeah, “Papa Was A Rolling Stone<\/strong><\/a>“. You might be amazed at what you have never heard before.<\/p>\n

But do it after you listen to this stunning mid-song solo. Love you, “Blue”, R.I.P.<\/p>\n