Actor, singer Terron Brooks reminisces on The Temptations while embracing The Soul Of Broadway

WJBF – Terron Brooks has been a presence on the big stages and our television screens for years with his most iconic role as Eddie Kendricks in NBC’s The Temptations, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Brooks sits down with WJBF to share his insight on the industry as he continues to forge a path for himself in the entertainment industry including his original theatrical presentation of The Soul Of Broadway.

Thank you for joining us here on Celebrating Black Excellence. Now, let’s get started with your career? How did you get started with acting and singing?

I attribute school. I sang at church, so that’s how I got started to sing. If you want to talk about the industry, there was going to be no industry without education. So, I went to a performing arts high school. Those teachers and instructors really saw something in me to bring that out of me and to give me a sense of purpose or excitement about the craft or even a possibility, because I guess I thought there probably wasn’t going to be a possibility of making a future from this. So, it was the performing arts high school, and I got an agent and a manager early on to kind of attempt to be in the industry. However, it started with getting out of being shy and self-conscious to a love of the arts. Then, that’s where I decided to make the decision to pursue it. So, yeah, I was very, very young, but it wasn’t like I was six or seven or eight or nine or ten or 11 or 12 going like, “Ooh, I want to do this.” It really took some convincing and encouragement.

ALSO ON WJBF: Hip-hop artist Topher discusses his faith, his music, and his health with new book, Beyond The Weight

You mentioned being shy. What helped you with that?

You know, we’re all self-conscious, and I think when doing anything, especially as an actor or a performer, the worst thing you could do is think about yourself while you’re doing something that’s supposed to be focused on other people. So, I think once I understood that this was going to kind of halt my growth and the excitement of what I was doing, if I always thought about, “Oh, that’s a wrong note. How do I look? How am I going to be received? Do they like me?” – All of that subconscious stuff – I think the answer to your question is I kind of got rid of that and said, “You know what? Everyone’s got to have an opinion about what this is going to be. I love it. I’m going to do it and hopefully find the people that enjoy it and do it for them for a purpose,” as opposed to being caught up to like just being about all about me. So, I think that’s what helped me lose a little bit of the shyness. What were the stakes? What was the reason why I was doing it? And those reasons were bigger than not doing it or just being shy, you know? And then you started to get the love, right, and when you start to feel that love and that people who do accept what you’re doing, it dissipates all of that self-consciousness. You know, we all still have it as humans, but that’s pretty much what it was. The love overrode any of the nervousness and shyness.

As a musician, as an artist, who are some of your inspirations?

Too many to count, but let’s start with Tracy Chapman on the Grammys. Wow! Tracy Chapman, Michael Jackson, Brad Hammond, the Winans, Babyface, Sam Cooke, Luther Vandross… It’s just too many to mention those people that inspire. When people say inspires, like what do they mean? You know, for me, it’s like there’s something that touches something authentic. That’s what it is. That’s real.

Now, you made an appearance on Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper?

Well, you got to blink. (Laughs) It was my first job. I had like four or five lines, but, you know, go back and you’ll find it.

With such great television in the 90s and 2000s, especially when it came to African-Americans and us being seen on the forefront, how was that experience for you as a young actor?

Well, I mean, yeah, my first job being on a hit TV show was incredible, you know what I mean? The kindness that I saw because when you’re on a show, you get to see behind the scenes of the actors that you think you know, and all of them were incredible, I think at that time Nell Carter was on the show, and you had Mark Curry. It was an incredible experience, and I felt proud, you know what I mean? Not that I’m not proud today of our advancement and some of the things that we’re doing today and how vast the communities are, but I didn’t have to worry about my parents or anybody turning on the show and seeing something that was going to be embarrassing or not uplifting to what we’re doing and who we are. Of course, Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper was in homes that wasn’t just for Black people. Everybody watched Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper when it was on. So, yeah, lots of pride, you know, to have that be my first job.

Now, we have to talk about your most known role. A lot of people know you from The Temptations Mini-Series. You played Eddie Kendricks. Let’s talk about that experience. First of all, how did that role come to you?

Like an audition. My agent’s like, “They’re doing The Temptations, and you got an audition.” I’m thinking, “Well, I’ll go, but there’s no way they’re going to hire five stars, right?” So, I went, and I think I said it many times, me being a little bit naïve probably helped me because it wasn’t overwhelming. I don’t think I thought I had a chance. So that just going in there, being natural and having fun kind of transferred over. I think most people know I auditioned for Paul [Williams], and then, I got Eddie Kendricks, but it was a surreal experience and went really fast. I had about nine auditions, got to go to network, and do all these things that I’ve never done before. So, I think I didn’t have as much fear because I didn’t know what this was actually. I love Motown, I love the music, and I was a performer. So, I think that helped also, but it was one of those “once in a lifetime” things that actually found me. If I could just say, I just think it was nothing that I did so extraordinarily. It was just one of those moments like, “This dude –that’s it. He’s the role.” So, yeah, big blessing and big memory because people don’t realize I had nothing on the resume… probably Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper and a few commercials or whatever, but it didn’t say lead actor in all these movies to be able to get something like that. So, that’s another thing. I try to encourage people and say, “Hey, it doesn’t matter what you have, what you think, or how limited you think you are, if it’s for you, go through those doors, and you’re going to get it.

CBE365: Speak Out with Bria Smith

Was there any pressure portraying someone that actually lived versus playing like a fictional character?

Absolutely. Because, you know that people knew this man, even the people that I were around knew this man. You knew that he was beloved, right? I don’t know if I put the pressure on myself in that way, but yes, there was pressure, or let’s say there was fuel to do the best possible job that I could do. Let’s change it from pressure to fuel. I really wanted to honor this man. I knew that he was beloved, and then, I’m surrounding myself with the producers, their directors, and the team who made me feel comfortable. I don’t have time to think that I’m inadequate. I have to go. “I was chosen. Right? There’s Otis [Williams]. There’s these people. Smokey [Robinson] says, ‘I’m the ghost of his friend.’” You know what I mean? I got to trust the process and not get in my head and just give a tribute. So, it kind of goes back to what I said earlier about love. I think when you have love for something and you put love in it, you don’t have to worry so much about the outcome. Of course, there’s people that don’t. I love reading comments that people thought I wasn’t the one, of course, but for the most part, it turned out all right.

We think it definitely turned out better than alright. People are still watching that to this day. It’s an iconic series. How does it feel to still be recognized to this day for your portrayal?

I was at lunch yesterday with my son, and somebody came up, and he just laughed, you know? It feels good. I don’t think about it, though, like that, but I’m always reminded. It feels good that I’m in somebody’s television in someone’s home, and that it brought them so much joy because when they come up to me, and they have a smile on their face. Or they say, “I’m gonna watch it again. I’ll watch it again. I’ll watch it this weekend.” There’s something about it that must bring them something, and I’m proud of that. As an actor or a performer, I’m proud of it.

Now, let’s talk about something that’s near to your heart, The Soul of Broadway. How did how did that get started?

I just wanted to create something. I’m always auditioning. I’m always doing someone else’s project and fulfilling someone else’s picture or design. I wanted to create something that I wanted to show that was me. As a Broadway performer, I took Broadway music and the songs, and then, I put my story into it, added a lot of soul, gospel, and all these kind of genres, and created something that I do all around the country now that’s me. So, when you come see it, you’ll hear the story about The Temptations. You’ll hear about my family, you’ll hear about my struggles, my challenges, my successes, and you hear this music that you think is familiar but wrapped up in another way that actually shows my artistry. So, man, I’m so proud. I’m putting the producer hat on and the creator hat on. So, now in my career, when I’m choosing to do projects, I have something that I love to do, and I’m not desperate to do other things that aren’t elevating me or elevating people. So, The Soul Of Broadway is just a little hint of what I want to do in the future, but it does kind of tell my story, and I am in the driver’s seat of that vision.

You also have a music project: The Soul Of Broadway was released in 2022. How has the reception been for that?

Oh, incredible. I get nervous, and like anything, you have an opinion about music. I’m changing a lot of these iconic songs from Phantom Of The Opera from West Side Story. I even did “Just My Imagination” in a different kind of way. So, I understand purists and people that love what they love, but I took a risk and I said, “Hey, here’s a rebellious new twist on it,” and most often, people really enjoy it. It’s a Broadway themed record, but I just want to say, if you get it and you listen, it’s so many genres you’re still going to enjoy. If you enjoy my music or Terron music, you’re going to hear that just through a Broadway lens, but yeah, I’m excited. I have another record that I’m almost finished with, and I haven’t had an original record out in a long, long time. So, keep hope alive. We’ll get that out as soon as possible.

If people want more information about you or they want updates, how can they get that information?

You can just go to TerronBrooksOfficial.com. That’s my website, or you can go to thesoulofbroadway.com. I’m always on Instagram. Even if you want to chat and talk, I will write you back and say, “Hey.” So, those are the mediums you can find me, and you can check out the music on iTunes and Spotify.

ALSO ON WJBF: Singer Angel Taylor talks Grammy-nominated gospel group Trin-i-tee 5:7, new music while making The Comeback

Are there any words of inspiration or encouragement that you can give someone?

Well, we’re talking about Black excellence, and thank you for having me. I just say to be excellent doesn’t mean to be perfect. It just means to be authentic, and it just means to be proud of who you are.

Investigating who you are. Investigating your past and where we’ve come from as people and trying to elevate that the best way that you can. So, my advice would be to continue on your path to find out who you are, love who you are, and who you are is the star. Try not to compare yourself with anybody else, but the excellence is not against someone else or compared to someone else. The excellence is inside of you asking yourself, “Am I being the best person I can be, so I can do the best job that I can do?” That’s what I would say.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF.