Today we commemorate the life of the great Levi Stubbs, legendary lead singer of the Four Tops, born June 6th, 1936. He was one of the greatest and most influential soul vocalists of all time, and his legend lives strong with millions of music fans.
The Four Tops
One of the greatest groups to ever come out of Detroit consisted of four singers who made history with their music and their longevity, only being separated by death.
Formed in the mid-50s as high schoolers in Detroit, Levi Stubbs, Obie Benson, Lawrence Payton and Duke Fakir were first known as the Four Aims. However, to avoid confusion with the popular Ames Brothers vocal quartet, the group changed its name to the one that would become synonymous with Detroit’s “Sound of Young America. ” After cutting several unsuccessful tracks for various record labels in the late 50s and early 60s, the Tops signed with Berry Gordy’s Motown label and teamed with super songwriters Holland/Dozier/Holland. Their first collaboration, “Baby I Need Your Lovin,” was a smash crossover hit and set the stage for future successes.
