If you’re wondering how Lowes Moore is able to achieve the sweet falsetto style of the late Eddie Kendricks from The Temptations … well you might give his sisters the credit.
“We had a children’s choir at church, and my two older sisters were in it,” Moore explained during a recent telephone interview, recalling his youth in Mt. Vernon, N.Y. “I was the annoying little brother who wanted to imitate everything they did, including their voices. I think that’s how I got my vocal timbre, without really trying.”
“I had my first solo at age 4,” Moore said, recalling how he looked forward to singing the last four words of a gospel song — “according to your way” — all by himself.
“I could not wait,” he said.
Moore has sung many solos since then, and you will be able to hear him in the stage show “Ain’t Too Proud,” when Broadway In Scranton brings the music of The Temptations to the Scranton Cultural Center for four performances Nov. 15-17. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15; 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16 and 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17.
Recommended for audiences age 12 and older, the show features such Temptations hits from the ’60s and ’70s as“My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,” “Get Ready,” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone.”
Altogether, the legendary quintet had four No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and 14 No. 1 hits on the Billboard R&B chart, and Moore doesn’t hesitate to call them “one of the best groups to ever exist.”
“Their voices were just so unique,” Moore said. “And when Eddie would lead a song, he had a different essence about him — very laid back, very smooth.”
“My favorite song from the show is ‘I’m Gonna Make You Love Me,’ which features Diana Ross, played by Jasmine Barboa in our show,” Moore said. “To hear Eddie sing with Diana, their voices blend really well, and I can say the same for me and Jasmine.”
“It’s very easy to just think about hit songs and awards,” the singer continued, “but this was a brotherhood. At times they struggled with different life challenges. (In the show) you learn about the history of what’s happening behind the scenes. You see The Temptations as legends but you see their humanity.”
The Temptations were well known for the dancing that accompanied their singing, and Sergio Trujillo won the 2019 Tony Award for Best Choreography for his work on the show.
“He did such a great job of building on the signature dance moves,” Moore said “It helps transport you back to the time when The Temptations were up on stage singing their hits.”
The Temptations’ biggest hit was “My Girl,” a happy song comparing a loving relationship to having “sunshine on a cloudy day” and “so much honey, the bees envy me.” But they felt it was important to address difficult issues of the day as well, Moore said, pointing to the song “Ball of Confusion,” which is part of the show.
“Well, the only person talking about love thy brother is the preacher. And it seems nobody’s interested in learning but the teacher. Segregation, determination, demonstration, integration, aggravation, humiliation, obligation to our nation,” are some of the lyrics. “Ball of confusion, oh yeah, that’s what the world is today.”
“They wanted to make meaningful music with a message behind it,” Moore said. “That’s one of their many contributions, a message that people needed to hear.”
As the show tours, Moore said, he can see the audiences are filled with many different age groups. That makes sense to him because, he said, not only did he grow up listening to The Temptations but “my dad will say he grew up listening to them, and my grandma and grandpa they grew up with it.”
Younger people who hear the music tend to become fans, too, Moore said. “That’s what’s special about it. In one form or another, you have been exposed to genius.”
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