Rest In Peace: Levi Stubbs
I Dislike Your Favorite Team —
Levi Stubbs died . You might not know his name, but if you love classic R&B as I do, you know his voice. He was the primary singer for the Four Tops. I first learned his name when the great remake of Little Shop of Horrors came out--he was the voice of the Mean Green Mother From Outer Space . The second time I heard his name, it was from a great Billy Bragg album, and my favorite song on that great album ("Talking With the Taxman About Poetry"), was "Levi Stubb's Tears". It happens to be one of the most affecting songs about spousal abuse written by a man I've ever heard. Billy Bragg is also awesome. But we are talking about great Motown ...
Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops Passes Away At Age 72
The Starting Five —
From left, Renaldo “Obie” Benson, Levi Stubbs, Abdul “Duke” Fakir and Lawrence Payton
Levi was a cool brotha. Known to some as the Black Sinatra, Mr. Stubbs passed away in his sleep yesterday at age 72 in his Detroit home. He’d been ill from cancer and a stroke.
With Stubbs in the lead, the Four Tops sold millions of records, including such hits as “Baby I Need Your Loving,” “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)” and “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch).”
The group performed for more than four ...
