| Artist: Levi Stubbs |
Followers:
Worked With:
| Wikipedia: Levi Stubbs |
| Levi Stubbs | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Levi Stubbles |
| Born | June 6, 1936 |
| Origin | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | October 17, 2008 (aged 72) |
| Genres | R&B/soul |
| Occupations | Singer, actor |
| Years active | 1954–2008 |
| Labels | Motown |
| Associated acts | The Four Tops |
Levi Stubbles (June 6, 1936 – October 17, 2008), better known by the stage name Levi Stubbs, was an American baritone singer, best known as the lead vocalist of the Motown R&B group Four Tops.
Contents |
Born in Detroit in 1936, Levi Stubbs began his professional singing career with friends Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton, forming a singing group called The Four Aims in 1954.[1] Two years later, after having signed with Chess Records, the group changed their name to the Four Tops. The name change was meant to avoid confusion with the then-popular Ames Brothers.[1] The Four Tops began as a supper-club act before signing to Motown Records in 1963. By the end of the decade, the Four Tops had over a dozen hits. The most popular of their hits (all of which featured Stubbs on lead vocals) include "Baby I Need Your Loving", "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)", "It's the Same Old Song", "Reach Out I'll Be There", "Standing in the Shadows of Love", "Bernadette", "Still Water (Love)", "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)" as well as the late hit Loco In Acapulco.
Although Stubbs was a natural baritone, most Four Tops' hits were written in a tenor range to give the lead vocals a sense of urgency. Stubbs and the other Tops remained a team until Payton died in 1997, at which point Theo Peoples took his place. The Four Tops were elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, and have sold over 50 million records worldwide.[1] In 2000, Theo Peoples replaced Stubbs as lead singer, with Ronnie McNeir taking the place that Payton originally held. Duke Fakir is now the only surviving member of The Four Tops' original lineup. Benson died on July 1, 2005.
As an actor, Levi Stubbs provided the voice of the carnivorous plant Audrey II in the 1986 movie version of the musical Little Shop of Horrors to much acclaim from fans of the film, and the voice of Mother Brain in the animated TV series Captain N: The Game Master (1989).[2] Stubbs also guest starred in a number of TV shows as himself.
Levi Stubbs and his wife Clineice were married from 1960 until his death, and had five children. He was diagnosed with cancer in 1995, and later, after a stroke, he was no longer able to tour with the group. Stubbs died in his sleep on October 17, 2008 at his home in Detroit.[3] His interment was in Woodlawn Cemetery.
His brother, Joe Stubbs, was a member of The Falcons, The Contours and The Originals, and one of his cousins was Jackie Wilson.[4]
Billy Bragg's song "Levi Stubbs' Tears", appears on his album Talking with the Taxman about Poetry.
|
||||||||||||||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
 | Indestructible (1988 Album by The Four Tops) |
| Changing Times (1970 Album by The Four Tops) |
| Live & In Concert (1974 Album by The Four Tops) |
 | Who is lady actress Stubbs? |
| How old is chelsea stubbs? |
| When did george stubbs die? |
Copyrights:
 |
 | Artist. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved. Read more |
 |
| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Levi Stubbs". Read more |
Mentioned in
