When I’ve thought about my favorite pop vocalists, I have tended to overlook The Four Tops’ great lead singer Levi Stubbs. Even when I’ve mentioned favorite Motown singers, I always have named Marvin Gaye but often have forgotten Levi Stubbs. I heard today that he died, and my reaction was that I had lost someone I didn’t give enough credit to while he was still around. I grew up loving The Four Tops and The Temptations, their mock “battles of the bands.” I liked The Tempts’ big hits sometimes more than The Tops’, but I always was left with Stubbs’ powerful voice echoing through my mind. “Reach Out (I’ll Be There),” “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” “Bernadette,” and so many more consistently wonderful vocal performances.
Fortunately, I have a 3-record set of Four Tops hits. I’ll get it out and listen, pay tribute.
Running/Breathing 