The song was a global hit and a Grammy Award Winner too, and was co-written by the late Norman Whitefield. Richard left the group in 1993 and he died in February 2013 from an embolism.
update february 2018
from BBC NEWS
Dennis Edwards, who performed as lead singer for the Motown group the Temptations, has died at aged 74.
He died in Chicago, his family told CBS News. They did not disclose the cause of death.
Edwards joined the Temptations in 1968 and had a number of hits including two Grammy award-winning songs, Papa Was a Rollin' Stone and Cloud Nine.
He pursued a solo career in the 1980s, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.
Edwards, who would have turned 75 on Saturday, had solo hits such as Don't Look Any Further and Coolin' Out.
Fans have paid their respects on social media, and civil rights activist Jesse Jackson described Edwards as "so talented".