“The Temptations were our Beatles”

I stumbled across a series of Behind The Music episodes on YouTube last night and watched the story of Hall and Oates. Wow, I forgot how many hits they had. I loved so many of their songs.

But, The Temps…

I really didn’t know how much of an influence they were until I did this show. I’ve had the opportunity to chat with Shelly Berger (their longtime manager) here in rehearsals. I also sat back and just listened to the stories told by Otis Williams himself. After a few weeks, I had to go back and do some homework. They were huge!!! They were the biggest selling artists on Mototwn. I mean, they were just the best of the best.

I’m seeing every night how their music touched so many lives as I perform in “Aint Too Proud” here @berkeleyrep – It’s really cool to play music that touches so many and makes people so happy.

Apparently, I slept on the Temptations but I’m “woke” now.

Imma dust off this Hall and Oates CD before I play the 8PM show. I’m gonna reminisce about my high school years.

Clayton Craddock is a stay-at-home father of two children in New York City. He has a B.B.A from Howard University’s School of Business and is also a 17 year veteran of the fast paced New York City music scene. He has played drums in a number of hit Broadway musicals including “tick…tick…BOOM, Memphis the Musical and Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill with Audra McDonald.

He has worked on other musicals; Footloose, Motown, The Color Purple, Bare, Rent, Little Shop of Horrors, Evita, Cats, and Avenue Q and is currently the drummer in a new Broadway bound musical titled Ain’t Too Proud.

Clayton has written for A Voice For Men, The Good Men Project and is writing a memoir about fatherhood.