(August 16, 2026) We learned the bad news today from the legendary Four Tops of the passing of Detroit soul music royalty, Thelma Stubbs-Mitchell, singer in The Stubbs Girls (originally known a L’Stubbs) and sister of legendary Four Tops lead vocalist Levi Stubbs and Joe Stubbs of The Contours. She also had a solo singing career, singing mostly a bluesy brand of southern soul.
The Stubbs Girls brought Thelma together with four of her nieces — Robin, Pamela, Sheila and Ronda — creating an unusual cross-generational family vocal group. Drawing from both gospel and the classic Detroit soul tradition, the singers developed a sound built around the naturally similar vocal tones within the Stubbs family and their tightly blended harmonies. The Stubbs Girls were inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2023.
Thelma also had the rare opportunity to record with Levi. In 1999, she and fellow Stubbs Girls member Sheila Stubbs Taylor joined Levi Stubbs on “Better Than Ever Before,” a musical tribute to their hometown of Detroit. The recording remained largely unknown for years before we at SoulTracks shared it with readers in 2022.
Thelma continued recording well into her later years. Under her own name, Thelma Stubbs-Mitchell, and sometimes under the moniker Lady Stubbs, she released such recordings as “All About Us,” “Let’s Be Friends,” “Ole’ Gina” and “Should’ve Known Better.” Her final release was a 2026 remix of “Ladies Night,” featuring The Stubbs Girls.
Both as a powerful singer and a member of one of Detroit’s first families of soul, Thelma Stubbs-Mitchell occupied a special place in music history. And while she was royalty in Detroit, she will be remembered and honored around the world.
By Chris Rizik
