Levi Stubbs
Lead singer of the Four Tops
1936-2008
Levi Stubbs was born in Detroit, MI in 1936. He began his professional singing career in his hometown when he and friends Abdul “Duke” Fakir, Renaldo “Obie” Benson and Lawrence Payton formed the vocal group the “Four Aims” in 1954. The group worked as a supper club act for a couple of years, eventually changing their name to the “Four Tops”. They recorded a number of forgettable singles for Chess and Columbia. In 1963 the “Four Tops” were signed the new Motown Records. It wasn’t long until a string of hits followed, including “Baby I Need Your Loving” and “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)”. The “Four Tops” would go on to rack up more than 50 hits. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
Levi appeared in a number of TV shows, and even lent his voice to the carnivorous plant “Audrey II” in “Little Shop of Horrors”.
Sadly, Levi was diagnosed with cancer in 1995 and suffered a stroke in 2000.
Levi Stubbs passed away on October 20, 2008. He was 72 years young.
