Quote Originally Posted by jboy88 View Post
Ricky Owens had the misfortune of joining the Tempts around the time “Just My Imagination” had topped the charts. Also, people were more upset about Eddie Kendricks leaving the group than they’d been about David Ruffin’s exit 3 years earlier. So there was an immense amount of pressure for Ricky to fill Eddie’s shoes. Apparently, the weight was too much for him and he choked.
Ok, that answers a few things I always wondered about. The man had recorded and performed for years with the Vibrations, seemingly with no issues there. Then, after he was fired from the Temptations, he went back to the Vibrations. I kept thinking if he was that bad with the Temptations, how did he have such a long career at all with the Vibrations? But, what you added makes it a lot clearer. Under THAT kind of pressure, I guess nearly anyone could choke.