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Four Tops

American vocal quartet

The Four Tops is an American vocal group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1953 as the Four Aims. They were one of the most commercially successful American pop music groups of the 1960s and helped propel Motown Records to international fame.

The group's repertoire has incorporated elements of soul, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, doo-wop, jazz, and show tunes. Lead singer Levi Stubbs, along with backing vocalists Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton remained together in the group for more than four decades, performing until 1997 without a change in personnel.

Along with fellow Motown groups the Miracles, the Marvelettes, Martha and the Vandellas, the Temptations, and the Supremes, the Four Tops helped to establish the "Motown sound"; pop-friendly soul and R&B with a clean, polished production quality. They were notable for having Stubbs, a baritone, as their lead singer, whereas most other male and mixed vocal groups of the time were fronted by tenors.

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Four Tops

what: a band
from: Detroit
since: 1956
on the air here: 0 songs
still after: 1 song

File card: Four Tops

members: Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Levi Stubbs, Renaldo Benson, Lawrence Payton, Theo Peoples

formed in: Detroit

labels: Chess Records, Columbia Records, Riverside, Motown, ABC Records, Casablanca Records, Arista Records

genres: soul, rhythm and blues, pop music

awards: Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, star on Hollywood Walk of Fame, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, NAACP Image Award – Hall of Fame Award

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Early years

All four members of the group began their careers together while they were high-school students in Detroit. At the insistence of their friends, Pershing High students Levi Stubbs and Abdul "Duke" Fakir performed with Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton from Northern High at a local birthday party. The quartet decided to remain together and named the group the Four Aims. With the help of Payton's songwriter cousin Billy Davis, the Aims signed to Chess Records in 1956, changing their name to the Four Tops to avoid confusion with the Ames Brothers.

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U.S. vocal male soul quartet formed in 1953, in Detroit as The Four Aims. They made their recording debut in 1955 backing Carolyn Hayes on her 14249101 single. The four founding members remained together for over four decades, until 1997 without a single change in personnel. In the 60's they were the main male vocal group for the songwriting and production team of Holland-Dozier-Holland. After Holland-Dozier-Holland left Motown in 1967, the Four Tops were assigned to several producers, primarily Frank Wilson. When Motown left Detroit in 1972 to move to Los Angeles, California, the Tops stayed in Detroit and moved over to ABC Records, where they continued to have charting singles into the late-1970s. Since the 1980s, the Four Tops have recorded for, at various times, Motown, Casablanca Records and Arista. Inducted into Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 (Performer). Sometimes credited as "The Four Tops" Line-Up Chronology: Lawrence Payton (1953-1997) Levi Stubbs (1953-2000) Renaldo "Obie" Benson (1953-2005) Abdul "Duke" Fakir (1953-2024) Theo Peoples (1998-present) Ronnie McNeir (2000-present) Roquel Payton (2005-present) Also known as: 4 Pops, 4 Tops, F. Tops, Four Pops, Four Top From Discogs (free to use). Their entry