On December 21, 1964, The Temptations released a song that is now considered one of the greatest love songs of all time.

Smokey Robinson and Ronald White wrote and produced the classic Motown tune “My Girl.” It became the group’s first number 1 single. It is now part of the National Recording Registry.

“I remember being in the studio and we heard ‘My Girl’ for the first time,” Otis Williams, the group’s only surviving founding member, told Fox News Digital.

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“I was in the control room where Smokey was producing and said, ‘Smoke, I don’t know how big this album is going to be.’ Then we were at the Apollo. We got telegrams from The Beatles, Berry Gordy, The Supreme and Jules Podell, the man who ran Copacabana. These four telegrams are still hanging in my house today.

“You are very precious to me,” he reflected. “I just never imagined that The Temps would receive so many wonderful awards at such an early stage. We formed in 1961 but didn’t have any hits until 1964…The song made us famous.”

When asked who the mystery girl behind the single was, Williams giggled and replied, “You’ll have to ask Smokey.”

“Smokey and his then-wife Claudette saw us at a place in Detroit, a very popular nightclub called The 20 Grand,” Williams recalled. “They came to see us and he said, ‘Man, you guys are explosives.’ Then he stopped and said, “I have a song for you.” We were young and cocky, so we said, ‘Go for it – we can sing anything.'”

“My Girl” was a follow-up to another song written and produced by Robinson, Mary Wells’ “My Guy,” Billboard.com reported. This title is also celebrating its 60th anniversary.

Williams said the secret behind the song’s lasting impact is surprisingly simple.

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“It has such a broad meaning,” he explained. “It’s a song that fits every life event. When fathers give away their daughters at their wedding, in a sense it will always be his daughter.”

“When a man falls in love with a young lady, he says, ‘That’s my girl.’ It has many different meanings and conveys a wide range of feelings. It is not just limited to a guy and a girl, it is a way of expressing love.

“It’s just a great song with simple lyrics – it’s not offensive at all,” Williams continued. “It’s a tune that everyone can remember. That’s why it’s so priceless… It’s just a wonderful way to express how a man would feel about his wife… And that’s what Motown believed in – having great songs with beautiful lyrics that don’t offend anyone.”

And there’s a lot that today’s artists can learn from his generation, Williams emphasized.

“Look, I always tell people that the only constant in life is change,” he explained. “I try not to beat anyone in their quest to make a name for themselves in show business. But I have to say I’m not impressed with some of the things I hear on the radio today.”

“When I hear the lyrics, I hear swearing,” Williams said. “I hear a lot of demeaning language. I believe in freedom of speech, but it’s a very good reflection of where we are as a society today…You shouldn’t hear swearing on the radio.”

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“I believe in great lyrics, lyrics that are not offensive and resonate with everyone,” he shared. “That’s why Motown was so great. They valued great songs. They were called ‘Songs for America.'”

“I know my time was different… but I’m just not impressed with what I hear on the radio these days. I don’t know what happened when things are so relaxed that you can hear people swearing or talking about doing very indecent things to women.

At age 83, Williams has no plans to slow down as an artist.

“Look, I always tell people that the only constant in life is change. I try not to dupe anyone in their efforts to make a name for themselves in show business. But I have to say, I’m not impressed with some of what I hear on the radio today.

– Otis Williams

“God has blessed me to do this for 64 years,” he shared. “I think being in show business is something special. You can reach so many people. You can give them hope. You can encourage them in difficult times. That’s why we will always try to be a healthy artist. We’re not going to go on stage and…” Grab our private parts and sing about how we do this or that.

“We were taught that if you carry yourself with the right kind of respect and dignity, people will always listen to you,” Williams said. “As long as you perform well and stay healthy, you don’t have to worry too much about it. We were stressed about respect for our audience and ourselves.”

“My Girl” has now surpassed one billion streams on Spotify. Williams admitted he was impressed that younger listeners were discovering the song on social media.

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“God and his infinite wisdom brought us to this studio – I truly believe that,” Williams said. “And that was a very special time in the 60s. The ’60s were crazy, just like we are today… but it’s a true testament that a song can still be loved 60 years later.”

“…Our audience has grown up with us,” he shared. “We were young when we started, but look where we are now.”