FOUR TOPS BIO
Formed in 1954, the legendary Four Tops have made their collective mark throughout the decades. This thanks to the many classic hits for Motown Records in the 1960’s, then ABC- Dunhill in the 1970’s, with the 1980’s finding the foursome on Casablanca, then back to Motown and from there Arista Records. The lineup of founders Levi Stubbs, Renaldo “Obie” Benson, Lawrence Payton and Abdul “Duke” Fakir were a true band of brothers.
Today’s Four Tops – Theo Peoples, Ronnie McNeir, Michael Brock and Lawrence Roquel –continue that tradition.
This story’s setting begins at Detroit’s Pershing High School, where Duke Fakir met fellow student Levi Stubbles, who’d later adopt the stage name of Stubbs. While the two were solid athletes played football at Pershing High, when Duke witnessed Levi fronting a local band at a gig, that was when the former had heard what would later become a signature voice in music history.
Duke and Levi decided to form a singing group, then rounded up two pals from Northern High – Reinaldo Benson (“Obie”) and Lawrence Payton. Levi would sing lead, the remaining three handling harmonies in the background – resulting in music magic. At first the school chums called themselves the Four Aims. But upon advice that the name may have folks think of Ed Ames and his brotherly siblings, a change was made to the Four Tops.
Thus the journey began after high school graduation. Gigs in the Midwest, traveling as far as the Big Apple and resorts in the Catskills (where future Four Tops producer Dennis Lambert first witnessed the group when he was a child performer). The legendary Mr. B – Billy
Eckstine – became the Tops’ mentor. The lessons learned from Eckstine were many. Group harmonies were on point, appearance sharp as a razor.
But the journey wasn’t an easy one. Money being too tight to mention, sharing a single dwelling in rooming houses, keeping bologna and bread with a jar of mustard handy for three meals a day. Then came the record deals – Chess, Riverside, Columbia. Singles cut, none selling. This went on for ten years.
In 1963, back in Detroit, Motown Records’ exec William Mickey Stevenson spots the quartet at a gig and makes an offer not refused. The Four Tops signed with Motown to record….jazz.
The label had launched the Workshop Jazz subsidiary. An album was cut, entitled “Breaking Through.” The LP jacket was ready for the pressing plant, with test pressings sent out to local radio and tastemakers. It was all systems go until the label’s market research folks came it. Sales of jazz recordings had taken a nosedive that year. So, Motown shelved the Tops’ debut album and put the Workshop Jazz label to rest. Those recordings would finally see the light of day in 1999.
Stevenson suggested going into a way different direction – cutting soul/R&B/pop tunes. Levi, Obie, Duke and Lawrence agreed with this move. Enter Holland/Dozier/Holland – who booked the group to cut one of their tunes in the wee hours of a late night/early morning.
Funk Brothers and Andantes in the Hitsville house. The song – “BABY, I NEED YOUR LOVING”.
After the aforementioned single made the pop Top 20, the hits came in fast and furious. H-D-H on many sessions, Stevenson with Ivy Jo Hunter on others (the masterpiece, “ASK THE LONELY”). 1965 gave the Tops their first #1 hit Pop smash, “I CAN’T HELP MYSELF (SUGAR PIE, HONEY BUNCH)”. A year later with a then-teenage Dayna Hartwick on the piccolo intro came “REACH OUT I’LL BE THERE”. To think, the group were against releasing that single for they felt the song was too strange for the marketplace. Motown founder Berry Gordy begged to differ and put it out anyway. The result – #1 Pop/R&B on Cashbox, Record World AND Billboard.
It seemed as if the hit streak would never end – but it came close. Holland/Dozier/Holland abruptly quit Motown in 1968 over finances and other issues. The company paired the Four Tops with producer after producer until LA transplant Frank Wilson stepped up to the plate in 1970. With Smokey Robinson handling the lyrics, Wilson produced “STILL WATERS (LOVE)” and the Tops were back in the Top 10. More hits follow with Wilson on the boards –“(IN THESE) CHANGING TIMES”, “(IT’S THE WAY) NATURE PLANNED IT” (sidebar – must give composer extraordinaire Pamela Sawyer props for co-writing the aforementioned). Then came the duet albums with the Supremes. The Four Tops were hit makers again.
The love affair between Motown and the Four Tops came to an end in early 1972, when the label’s then-president (who shall remain nameless) declared that the group were “washed up”. So, the four turned their attention to the west coast-based ABC-Dunhill Records, with the production team of Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter on board.
The hits on ABC-Dunhill were bountiful – the comeback Top 10 hit, “KEEPER OF THE CASTLE” along with the chart-topping “AIN’T NO WOMAN (LIKE THE ONE I GOT)” – with “LOVE MUSIC”, “ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH” (from Shaft In Africa), “ONE CHAIN DON’T MAKE NO PRISON”, “CATSFISH” and the Lawrence Payton-led “SWEET UNDERSTANDING LOVE” rounding out the list of smashes. After ABC-Dunhill came Casablanca Records (“WHEN SHE WAS MY GIRL”, “I BELIEVE IN YOU AND ME”), a trip back to Motown thanks to the award winning 25th anniversary TV special, with the last stop being Arista Records (“INDESTRUCTIBLE”).
The original Four Tops lineup remained together for 44 years – 1953 to 1997, when
Lawrence Payton had departed. How did this band of brothers pull off such a feat that outlasted a very long list of fellow Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees? It’s been said that each year a different member was selected as the group’s leader, along with each member having a specific role (Duke handled the business work, Lawrence and Obie the music matters with Levi being the “Captain”). Then came the vow to stay together no matter what.
That was evident when Levi did the voiceover of Audrey II in the film, “Little Shop of Horrors”. Despite the movie’s success, thanks in part to Stubbs’ performance, the group’s Captain recalled feeling very awkward singing one of the tunes on the Academy Awards telecast by himself. That never happened again.
1997…as mentioned before, Lawrence Payton had departed. Singer Theo Peoples leaves the Temptations to join Duke, Levi and Obie. But just a few short years later, Levi and Obie had left the building. Duke took on the task of bringing in a new lineup – which included longtime music man Ronnie McNeir and Lawrence Roquel Payton – son of the group’s co-founder. The updated Tops soldiered on, song list in hand, a dynamite band backing them.
This until late December 2024, when Duke announced his retirement and brought in Michael Brock to soldier on with the now current lineup. Two days later, Duke joined Levi, Obie and Lawrence above the clouds.
Today’s Four Tops have a robust year ahead of them. The 40th anniversary tour of the Temptations and Four Tops (born out of the classic televised “battle of the groups” from the Emmy winning Motown 25 special) is one such venture. In addition, the lineup of Theo, Ronnie, Michael and Lawrence/Roquel have new music to share with fans as well as unreleased works ready to issue. While all are honored to carry on the tradition set by the Four Tops founders, they are ready to blaze a new trail and share their joy for song with fans around the world.