The Temptations are adding another milestone to their decorated career: performing at a halftime show. The legendary Motown group is heading to its Detroit hometown to take the stage at the Detroit Lions vs. Dallas Cowboys halftime show. The “Thursday Night Football” game, taking place at Ford Field, is set for December 4 at 8:15 p.m. EST. It will also be streamed exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.
“We’re going to make sure our game is tight,” Otis Williams, co-founder of The Temptations and the group’s last surviving original member, shared. “Because this is home and we want to make sure we’re on point. We don’t take it lightly; we want to make the best impression.”
The Lions organization encouraged all those attending the game to wear all-white, a trademark color of the Temptations. “We’ve been wearing white for quite some time,” Williams said. “That’s part of our makeup to being The Temptations, so that’s a special privilege now to do it before the Lions and us appearing in there during halftime. So, that’s a great honor, and we just love to support the Lions in white.”
Scottie Montgomery, the Lions assistant head/wide receivers coach, also shared his excitement for the performance: “I love it. The only thing is it’s starting to cost me more and more tickets because all of my family members now, once they hear who’s performing … Now, we’re tapping into Motown, of course, now, uncles, aunts, everybody’s lined up.”
The Temptations’ performance comes just after Jack White’s Thanksgiving halftime set on November 27, where he brought out Eminem as a surprise guest.
The Temptations were formed in Detroit in 1961, with the original line-up featuring Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams, and Elbridge Al Bryant. Bryant was replaced by David Ruffin in 1964, thus establishing the “Classic Five” members. The group is integral to Motown’s success, leading the evolution of R&B and soul music. Among their four Billboard No. 1 singles and fourteen R&B No. 1 singles are hits like “My Girl”, “Just My Imagination”, “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone”.
The group was the first Motown act to win a Grammy Award, taking home Best R&B Vocal Group Performance for their “Cloud Nine” single in 1969. They won four Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013. The Temptations were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.
This year, the Temptations teamed with fellow Motown pioneers The Four Tops for a 40th Anniversary Tour. Following their stateside trek, the groups will head to the UK in June and July 2026.
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