It was a cloudy day, and the sun waited until the afternoon to shine, but that didn’t dampen the spirits of David Ruffin’s family as the late R&B singer was finally recognized with a series of events in Meridian on Saturday.

Ruffin, who was born in Whynot and claimed Meridian as home, was one of the singers of The Temptations, performing hits such as “My Girl” and “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.”

“It’s been a been a long time coming, a long time coming,” said Ruffin’s cousin Burta Fitch as she stood near a green street sign bearing his name near the Temple Theater on Eighth Street.

A four-block section of the thoroughfare was officially renamed “David Ruffin Boulevard” during a ceremony hosted by city officials. A short time earlier, his star was unveiled on the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience’s Walk of Fame on Front Street.

Between the two ceremonies, Jackson State University’s marching band, known as the “Sonic Boom of the South,” marched up 23rd Avenue in the rain, pumping out a set of uptempo Temptations tunes.

“It feels amazing to be here – it’s long overdue,” said Kim Mone’ Ruffin Jones, the singer’s youngest daughter, who came to Meridian from Detroit with a host of other family members. “He’s well-deserving of it. I couldn’t be happier to be here on this day.”

Ruffin’s sister, Kim Allen – who bears a striking resemblance to her brother– said she was “overjoyed” with the day’s festivities.

“David is getting what is due to him,” she said, smiling. “We’ve been praying for this, and now it’s happened.”

“I feel wonderful, so honored and so blessed,” said Cheryl Ruffin Robinson, Ruffin’s oldest daughter.

Ruffin’s niece, Gina Ruffin Moore, said the day wasn’t just about giving her uncle a star or renaming a few blocks of a city street. 

It also served to note Meridian’s impact on Ruffin’s life.

“This city means so much to the history and heritage of our family,” she emphasized. “The grit and verve that you hear in David’s singing came from here.”