Basic Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name (used here) | Otis Lamont Williams |
| Also recorded as | Otis Lamont Miles |
| Year of birth | 1961 |
| Year of death | 1983 or 1985 (reports conflict) |
| Approximate age at death | 22–24 |
| Place of death | Detroit, Michigan, USA |
| Cause of death | Workplace accident (construction) |
| Occupation | Construction worker |
| Known for | Son of Otis Williams (founding member of The Temptations) |
| Parents | Father: Otis Williams (born Otis Miles Jr.); Mother: Josephine Rogers |
| Paternal grandparents | Hazel Louise Williams; Otis Miles Sr. |
| Marital status | Not publicly documented |
| Children | Not publicly documented |
A name with two shadows: Miles and Williams
Names carry histories, and his carried two. The man we’ll refer to as Otis Lamont Williams is also widely recorded as Otis Lamont Miles. The duality traces back to his father: Otis Williams of The Temptations was born Otis Miles Jr. and later performed under the surname Williams. As a result, the son appears in public references under both surnames. For clarity and continuity, this article uses the requested name Otis Lamont Williams while acknowledging that many records list him as Miles.
Family roots and early years
Otis Lamont entered the world in 1961, the same year his parents—Otis Williams and Josephine Rogers—married. Their marriage ended a few years later, in 1964, leaving their son to grow up largely outside the blaze of stage lights that trailed his father. His paternal line is rooted in the story of Detroit and its surrounding region: Hazel Louise Williams and Otis Miles Sr. are frequently noted as the grandparents who shaped the elder Otis’s early path before music took center stage. Against that backdrop, Otis Lamont’s childhood remains largely private, with scant public documentation beyond the basic facts of family and time.
Work, privacy, and life outside the spotlight
While his father was immortalizing harmonies on vinyl and in hall-of-fame lore, Otis Lamont Williams took a different path—one defined by work boots, girders, and the honest heft of the trades. He is remembered as a construction worker, a profession that reads like a counterpoint to the showbiz sheen that surrounded his last name. No reliable public records point to a marriage or children, and there is no evidence of a public-facing career. His was a quiet life, a life governed by shifts and job sites rather than stages and spotlights.
Loss and the two-dates problem
The story of his passing is as spare as it is somber. Reports agree on the place (Detroit) and the nature (a workplace accident in construction) but diverge on the year. Some accounts list 1983; others record 1985. Either way, the tragedy came early—at roughly 22 to 24 years of age—closing a life that had barely slipped into adulthood. This discrepancy, while small in number, is large in its reminder: even a life linked to a famous family can blur at the edges when it unfolds out of view.
Family members at a glance
| Name | Relationship | Lifespan/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Otis Lamont Williams (also recorded as Otis Lamont Miles) | Subject | 1961–1983/1985 |
| Otis Williams (born Otis Miles Jr.) | Father; founding member of The Temptations | 1941– |
| Josephine Rogers | Mother | Married 1961; divorced 1964 |
| Hazel Louise Williams | Paternal grandmother | Noted caregiver in early family history |
| Otis Miles Sr. | Paternal grandfather | Namesake of the elder Otis |
| Ann Cain | Father’s later spouse | Married 1967–1973 |
| Arleata “Goldie” Williams | Father’s later spouse | Married 1983–1997 |
Note: Public material does not document a spouse or children for Otis Lamont Williams.
Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1961 | Birth of Otis Lamont Williams; his parents marry the same year. |
| 1964 | Parents divorce; his father continues ascent with The Temptations. |
| Late 1970s–Early 1980s | Enters the workforce; reported to be employed in construction. |
| 1983 or 1985 | Dies in a construction-related workplace accident in Detroit. |
The timeline is simple and spare—like a melody without ornament. Yet its few notes echo through the broader family story, a reminder that fame does not shield a family from the ordinary, sometimes brutal, turns of life.
The family context: music, motion, and memory
To understand his place in the family’s constellation, picture two parallel tracks. On one, Otis Williams—frontline architect of a group that defined an era—moves through decades of recording, touring, reinvention, and endurance. On the other, Otis Lamont Williams works in construction, largely unknown to the public, his life measured not in choruses but in workdays. The juxtaposition is striking. One track is scored by chart-toppers and historic stages; the other by steel, concrete, and the steady metronome of a punch clock.
And yet the throughline is unmistakable: family. The grandparents’ names, the father’s given surname (Miles), the stage surname (Williams), the marriages that followed—each piece is part of a larger, braided narrative. For those who study the music, he is a footnote. For those who feel the music’s humanity, he is a chapter—brief, quiet, indelible.
What remains
What remains of Otis Lamont Williams in the public eye is not a portfolio, nor a discography, nor a high-profile career. It is a handful of facts, a small assortment of dates, and a tragic cause of death. Yet even that modest ledger carries weight. His story adds a human seam to the larger cloth of The Temptations’ legacy, reminding us that behind the records and accolades are families with joys and losses of their own. In that sense, his life is both private and universal—another life cut short, another name honored in the quiet ways families keep memory alive.
FAQ
Who was Otis Lamont Williams?
He was the son of Otis Williams of The Temptations and lived a largely private life outside the music industry.
Why is he also listed as Otis Lamont Miles?
His father was born Otis Miles Jr. and later used Williams as a stage surname, so the son appears under both Miles and Williams in public records.
When did he die?
Accounts conflict between 1983 and 1985; both agree his death occurred in Detroit.
How did he die?
He died in a construction-related workplace accident.
Did he have a spouse or children?
There is no reliable public documentation of a spouse or children.
What was his occupation?
He worked in construction.
Who were his parents?
His father is Otis Williams (born Otis Miles Jr.), and his mother is Josephine Rogers.
Who were his paternal grandparents?
They are recorded as Hazel Louise Williams and Otis Miles Sr.
