Louis Price
Louis Price | |
---|---|
Born | March 29, 1953 |
Origin | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
Genres | R&B |
Occupation(s) | Vocalist, Producer, Actor |
Instruments | keyboard |
Years active | 1977–present |
Labels | Atlantic Records, Motown Records, |
Associated acts | The Temptations, The Drifters |
Louis Bernhardt Price (born March 29, 1953) is an American R&B, soul singer, and actor notable for being the lead singer of the first post-Dennis Edwards led version of The Temptations from 1977 to 1980.
Price lived in Chicago as a child and attended John Marshall High School. Price moved to Los Angeles and sang in various groups before being asked to replace Dennis Edwards of The Temptations after group leader Otis Williams fired Edwards. Price joined the group just as they were leaving their longtime label Motown for Atlantic Records. Price was the principal lead vocalist on "Hear to Tempt You" and one of the featured lead vocalists on "Bare Back". The Atlantic-era Temptations records fizzled on the charts and Price's tenure was short-lived. He was replaced by a returning Dennis Edwards as the group returned to Motown in 1980.
He then joined The Drifters and remained with them through the first half of the 1980s, while also doing occasional studio singing with groups like Heatwave on their album, "Current." In the late 1980s, Price signed with Motown and recorded his self-titled debut album, Louis Price, which was released in 1991. The album didn't sell well and he was dropped by Motown.
He has also had something of an acting career - appearing in the film White Men Can't Jump and as the principal on the TV series My Wife & Kids. In 1998, he was heard providing the singing voices for Dennis Edwards in the Temptations miniseries. He also provided singing vocals for Cornwallis for the "Circle of Poo" song in the South Park episode "A Very Crappy Christmas", incorrectly credited as "Lewis Price".[1]
He currently performs various club dates on the US west coast.