<P> Singer Jack Soo claimed that he was the first male artist to record a version of the song, after he joined Motown in 1965 as one of their first non-African American artists . The record was never released and was permanently shelved in the Motown archives . Another singer contracted to Motown at the time, Connie Haines, also claimed to have recorded an early unreleased version . This was verified when her version was released on an MP3 download album Motown Unreleased 1965 on December 11, 2015 . </P> <P> The Four Tops recorded the song on their album 4 Tops On Broadway, released in March 1967 and, like McNair's recording, produced as a slow ballad by Frank Wilson . </P> <P> The Temptations also recorded the song for their pop standards based album The Temptations in a Mellow Mood, released in July 1967 . Baritone singer Paul Williams sings the lead vocal on the song, and it subsequently became his showcase number in the Temptations' live shows . Williams' most famous performance of the number was during The Supremes and Temptations' TCB television special in 1968, a performance cited as the apex of Williams' career . The song also made its way into The Temptations 1998 made - for - television miniseries on NBC . After celebrating The Temptations' (and Motown's) first Grammy Award win for "Cloud Nine", the actor who portrays Paul Williams (Christian Payton) sings the slow ballad version . </P> <P> Also in 1967, Tony Bennett's recording of the song peaked at number 91 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart (number 8 on the Easy Listening survey) and was the title track of his album For Once in My Life . "For Once in My Life" remained in Bennett's concert repertoire into the 2000s . In 2006 Bennett teamed up with Stevie Wonder to record a ballad tempo version for his Duets: An American Classic album, for which Bennett and Wonder received a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals . Bennett also performed it on the grand finale of the sixth season of American Idol and in the Grammy Award - sponsored tribute Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life--An All - Star Salute, which aired February 16, 2015, on CBS . </P>

Stevie wonder for once in my life song