Audio Edition to Include New Introduction Narrated by Williams

February 18, 2020, Old Saybrook, CT…Otis Williams, founding and sole surviving member of the legendary, super-group, the Temptations, who is celebrating the group’s historic 60th Anniversary, has signed an audiobook deal with Tantor Media, a division of Recorded Books, to release on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 the audio edition of his critically-acclaimed autobiography, Temptations, written by Mr. Williams with The New York Times best-selling writer Patricia Romanowski. The book was the source for the Emmy-Award Winning television miniseries, Temptations, and the current smash hit Broadway musical, “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations,” with the Tony-Winning choreography. Aevitas Creative Management licensed the audio rights in Mr. Williams behalf.

The publication of Temptations coincides with the group’s 60th Anniversary national & international concert tours, and also the first national touring production of the musical, “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations” which kicks off this coming July to 50 cities in over 100+ weeks.

Mr. Williams said, “Our journey as told through the lens of my life transcends generations and cultures. It’s very exciting to see how in the 21st Century, after 60 years of performing with the Temptations, my story still resonates with fans of all ages and backgrounds, and will now be easily accessible through digital technology to audiences worldwide. I am thrilled to be published by Tantor Media.”

“It’s about time that Otis’ fans, who have listened to his music all these years, can now listen to his story! We are delighted to be working with Otis and his team to bring Temptations to the voracious audiobook market,” said Jennifer Eschrich, Acquisitions Managing Editor of Tantor Media.

Temptations, originally released in hardcover in 1988, followed by an updated paperback edition in 2002 (Cooper Square Press), will include a never-before-released introduction and a newly revised final chapter. Mr. Williams will personally narrate the new introduction and J.D. Jackson, who narrated Playing for Keeps: Michael Jordan and the World He Made by David Halberstam, will narrate Williams’ book.  The audio edition will be available through digital retailers wherever audiobooks are sold, including outlets such as Audible, Audiobooks.com, iTunes, Google Books. The CD edition will be available nationally through outlets such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble and wherever books are sold.  It will also be made available to public libraries across the country.

The Temptations, among the most prolific and iconic musical groups of the 20th & 21st Centuries, are celebrating their 60th Anniversary in 2020.  They are one of the world’s longest running and most significant musical institutions of all time.  Billboard Magazine in 2017 named the Temptations the “#1 R&B/Hip Hop Artists of All Time,” and in November of 2019 the magazine named them one of the “125 Greatest of All Time Artists” in music. Rolling Stone Magazine also named them one of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time.” The group has earned four Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.  They were the first Motown recording act to win a Grammy Award for their song, “Cloud Nine” in 1969. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, they have sold millions of albums to date worldwide. They also released fourteen number-one R&B singles and four Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles, many of which are considered American classics, including what some may call their magnum opus, “My Girl.” In 2018, “My Girl” was entered into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress. It is also included, along with “Just My Imagination,” and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s “500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.” They have stars on both the Hollywood “Walk of Fame,” and the Apollo Theater’s “Walk of Fame.” They were the first group ever to receive the American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Band/Duo/Group in 1974 and they won an American Music Award in 1976 for Best R&B Album for “A Song for You.” Mr. Williams and the Temptations continue singing their way into the hearts of fans worldwide. They released a new album in 2018, entitled, All the Time, and are currently on tour in this Anniversary year.  Mr. Williams was represented by his longtime manager, Shelly Berger, founder of Star Production in Los Angeles, California.

Tantor Media is a leading independent audiobook publisher with nearly two decades of success in producing the highest quality audiobooks for the retail and library markets. Combining must-have authors and award-winning titles with over 400 of the industry’s top narrators, Tantor produces more than 250 new titles every month. Tantor is the recipient of numerous Audie Awards, AudioFile Earphones Awards, and starred audio reviews. Tantor Media is a division of Recorded Books and RBmedia, the largest audiobook producer in the world with operations in the US, UK, and Australia.