If singing were the only expression of art, Melvin Franklin would be recognized as the “True talent in art ”. Combined with his unwavering dedication, distinctiveness, and remarkable bass vocal sound, Franklin was at the heart of their music. It is for this reason in particular that his tragic death was painfully welcomed by the members of his group and the fans of the group. Truly, Melvin Franklin was a musical hero.
When news of his death arrived on February 23, 1995, it was truly Black Thursday for all who knew him, from his mother to his wife and children, friends and fans. Receiving the news of his death came as a shock to many. What contributed to his death? How did he die? Many people were looking for answers to these questions, which we will answer in this article.
Youth and career
The ideal singer, Melvin Franklin, was born on October 12, 1942, in Montgomery, Alabama, USA with the birth name David Melvin English. He was taken to a single mother, Rose English, who became pregnant after being sexually assaulted by her biological father, David English (an English family church preacher in Mobile).
After he was born, his mother married Willard Franklin and at the age of ten, he moved to Detroit with his mother and stepfather and later adopted “Melvin Franklin” as his stage name after name. of his stepfather.
But before joining his mother and his stepfather Detriot, he spent the first ages of his life with his grandmother. In Detroit, he fell in love with the music and teamed up with friends who sang together on the streets of Detroit. Through this medium, he built personal satisfaction and nurtured his passion for music until he met Otis Williams (his classmate at Northwestern High School). Williams admired Franklin’s love of music and offered him to join his singing group, The Elgins. Franklin joined the band as bassist when he was just 15 years old.
Two years after joining the singing group, the group debuted under the Motown label with the first song, “Oh mother, oh mine”. After their debut, they were recruited and the group’s name was changed to “Temptations”. Franklin and Williams were the only founding members of the band to stay with it through its heyday.
How did Melvin Franklin die?
In the late 1960s, his health problems began. Melvin Franklin was first diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. To maintain himself and support his musical career, he started taking cortisone. He lived on cortisone as a cure for his illness, but the adverse effects of cortisone compounded his health issues. Due to the continuous cortisone intake, his body’s immunity was weakened, making him vulnerable to other serious infections and health problems.
Due to his weak immunity, he began to suffer from diabetes. While still trying to manage his arthritis disease with diabetes, he contracted necrotizing fasciitis. The presence of these diseases reduced his dedication and appearance in the performances of the Temptations group. It was truly a great fight for Franklin. While taking his medication, he appeared with the band a few times. However, his case worsened after he was shot.
In 1978, Franklin was the victim of a robbery attack by an unknown criminal in Los Angeles. The thief wanted to steal his private car. In his attempt to stop the thief from driving off with his car, the unknown thief shot him, leaving him in a pitiful state. Thanks to controlled medication, he lived until 1995.
In 1995, he began to suffer from various seizures and organ failure. He was admitted to Cedars Sinai Medical Center after collapsing. He became unconscious and quickly fell into a coma. Several medical attempts to restore his consciousness failed as he remained unconscious and died a few days later of heart failure.
Melvin Franklin really fought his fight for health fiercely, but lost it at the age of 53. He left behind his wife (Kimberly English), his six children, his poor mother, his fans and everyone in music, heartbroken. He could have been unlucky with his fate, but he died a noble and charismatic man.
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