The Four Tops Frontman Levi Stubbs, Jr. Dead at 72
Levi Stubbs, Jr., the lead singer of the Four Tops, died in his sleep today at his Detroit home after a long battle with multiple illnesses. He was 72. Cancer and a stroke forced Stubbs to stop touring with the famed Motown quartet in 2000. As the singer of the Four Tops, Stubbs’ baritone fueled classic hits like “Bernadette,” “Baby I Need Your Loving,” “It’s The Same Old Song,” “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” and “Reach Out I’ll Be There.” The quartet has sold over 50 million records and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Stubbs also provided the voice of the man-eating plant in the film version of Little Shop of Horrors. With Stubbs’ passing, Abdul “Fakir” Duke is left as the lone living original Four Tops member. Stubbs last played with the Four Tops in July 2004 in Detroit to commemorate the quartet’s 50th anniversary.
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