Otis Williams & The Temptations Celebrate the 60th Anniversary of ‘My Girl’

When it comes to quintessential covers of traditional holiday songs, arguably one of the best – and definitely most soulful – is The Temptations’ 1980 reinterpretation of the classic “Silent Night.” But during another holiday season 60 years ago, Motown Records released another classic that set the mold for the quintet’s legendary career: “My Girl.”Written and produced by fellow Motown legends and Miracles founding members Smokey Robinson and Ronnie White, “My Girl” was released through Motown subsidiary Gordy on Dec. 21, 1964. Three months later, in March 1965, the song had ascended to the top of& Billboard’s pop and R&B charts, giving the Temptations their first No. 1 hit. “My Girl” also marked another milestone: the first Temptations single with David Ruffin as lead singer. Succeeding former original member Elbridge “Al” Bryant, Ruffin rounded out what became the group’s storied lineup alongside Melvin Franklin, Eddie Kendricks, Otis Williams and Paul Williams. Now co-founder and last original member Otis Williams and The Temptations are celebrating the 60th anniversary of their mega-hit, which has now crossed the 1 billion streams mark on Spotify. “I don’t think it gets any greater than that,” Williams tells Billboard on the eve of an anniversary run...