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October 22. 2008
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" X I Mf I IAISHIM
The Dynamic Voice that Drove Motown Classics
Remembering Four Tops Frontman Levi Stubbs
(AP) — Four Tops frontman
Levi Stubbs, whose dynamic and
e m o tiv e v o ice dro v e such
Motown classics as "Reach Out
(I'll Be There)" and "Baby I Need
Your Loving," is being remem
bered after his death Friday at the
age of 72.
With Stubbs in the lead, the
F o u r Tops sold m illio n s o f
records and performed for more
than fo u r d ecad es w ith o u t a
change in personnel.
"Levi Stubbs was one of the
great voices of all times," former
M otow n la b e lm a te Sm okey
Robinson said. "He was very
near and dear to my heart. He was
my friend and my brother, I miss
him. God bless his family and
comfort them."
The Four Tops began singing
together in 1953 under the name
the Four Aims and signed a deal
with Chess Records. They later
changed their names to the Four
Tops to avoid being confused
with the Ames Brothers.
They also recorded for Red
Top, Riverside and C olum bia
R eco rd s and to u red su p p e r
clubs.
The Four Tops signed with
Motown Records in 1963 and
produced 20 Top-40 hits over the
next 10 years, making music his
tory with the other acts in Berry
Gordy's Motown stable.
"It is not only a tremendous
personal loss for me, but for the
Motown family, and people all
over the world who were touched
by his rare voice and remarkable
spirit," Gordy said. "Levi was the
greatest interpreter of songs I've
'The Four Tops' in a Nov. 16, 1966 file photo. From left are
Abdul Fakir, Levi Stubbs, Lawrence Payton and Renaldo
Benson. Stubbs died Friday at the age of 72,
weekend series featuring Portland's rich jazz
scene with no cover or minimum purchase.
For more information, visit pdxjazz.com.
Church G irls -C hurch Girls, a musical about
teenage girls who go through the same uni
versal issues other girls go through, explor
ing who they are wand want to be and the
standards they choose
to or not to live by, con
tinues through Friday,
Oct. 24 at the Interstate
Firehouse Cultural Cen
ter in north Portland.
St. C harles Spaghetti
D inner — St. Charles
Church, 42nd and N.E.
Emerson, hosts its 58th
annual Spaghetti and
Meatball Dinner, Sunday, Nov. 2, from noon
to 6:30 p.m. Also includes tossed salad,
bread, soft drinks and pies. Take-out avail
able. For more information, call 503-281 -6461.
Poetry at M iracles - Local and national
artists and musicians share an evening of
spoken word and music at the Miracles Club,
4069 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. BI vd, each
W ednesday's, between 7?3O p.m. and 9:30
p.m.
i
Oct. 23 at the Someday Lounge;
Friday, Oct. 24 at Berbati’s;
and Saturday, Oct. 25 at The
Ash Street.
O M SI A fter Dark - OMSI
After Dark is a night at the
museum for the 21 and
over crowd filled with
food, drink and sci
ence fun; $10 fee. For
more information call 503-797-4000
or visit omsi.edu.
G uys and D olls - Performances of the
classic “Guys and Dolls” has been ex
tended to run through Nov. 9 at the Portland
Center Stage with Broadway performers, the
best local talent, over 80 costumes, 258 props
and every single bell and whistle intact.
Sunday Night Jazz - Jazz enthusiasts can
Power of Love - Orpheus gifts the sky, birds
and stars as a sign of his love to Eurydice in
Artists Repertory T heatre’s produce of
“Eurydice” by Sarah Rahl. Now playing
through Oct. 26 on the Alder Stage. For
tickets and information, call
503-241-1278.
Bob the Builder - TVs Bob
the Builder and his Can-
Do Crew invite aspiring
young builders to help get
the job done in a hands-on
traveling exhibit at the Port
land Children’s Museum. The
2,000 square-foot, multimediaex-
hibit invites exploration and team
work for children and families. The
show runs through Jan. 19.
Open M ic Night - Every Wednesday night
at 7 p.m., Proper Eats Market and Café, 8638
N. Lombard St., host open mic night.
enjoy listening to the cool
sounds of Mel Brown, in the
Rogue River Room at Chi
nook Winds Casino Resort
in Lincoln City. No cover
charge.
First Thursday Art G allery O pening - Ev
ery first Thursday in the Pearl, meet the
artists and join the street party for gallery
receptions and openings introducing the
works of many artists; this is a free event.
Live Jazz - Every Friday
andSaturdayfrom 8p.m .to 11 p.m..the Third
Degrees Lounge at the RiverPlace Hotel,
1510S.W. Harbor Way, will host the ongoing
SlidersG rill-SlidersG rill,3011 N. Lombard,
features an eclectic assortment of performers
on the main stage, accompanied by delicious
fixxl. Call 503-459-4488 for more information.
Hip Hop Festival -T h e 10th
annual Portland Oregon
Hip-Hop Festival (POH-
HOP), featuring appear
ances from some of the
region’s hottest talents as
well as headliners Illmaculate, Large Profes
sor, Mistah FAB and One Be Lo takes place
Wednesday, Oct. 22 at Berbati’s; Thursday,
ever heard."
W hen he and o th e rs at
Motown first heard "Baby I Need
Your Loving," Gordy rem em
bered: "Levi's voice exploded in
the room and went straight for
our hearts. We all knew it was a
hit. hands down."
T heir biggest hits were re
corded between 1964 and 1967
with the in-house songwriting
and production team o f Brian
H olland, Lam ont D ozier and
Eddie Holland. Both 1965 s "1
Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie,
H oney B unch)" and 1966's
"Reach Out" went to No. 1 on
the Billboard pop chart.
Other hits included "Shake Me,
Wake Me" (1966), "Bernadette"
and "Standing in the Shadows
of Love" (both 1967).
Stubbs "fits right up there with
all the icons of Motown," said
Audley Smith, chief operating
officer of the Motown Historical
M useum . "H is voice was as
unique as M arv in 's or as
Smokey's or as Stevie's."
The Four Tops toured for de
cades after th eir heyday and
reached the charts as late as 1988
with "Indestructible" on Arista
Records. In 1986, Stubbs pro
vided the voice for Audrey II the
m an-eating plant in the film
"Little Shop of Horrors."
The group was inducted into
the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in
1990 and has a star on the Holly
wood Walk of Fame.
Stubbs' death leaves one sur
viving member of the original
group: Abdul "Duke" Fakir. Origi
nal Top Lawrence Payton died of
liver cancer in 1997. Renaldo
"Obie" Benson died of lung can
cer in 2005.
Stubbs hadn't done much per
forming in recent years because
of his declining health.
Holiday Bazaar
Church of the Good Shepherd
R i v. W illie B Smith, Pastor
Rev. Dr. Dapo Sohomehin, Associate
(503) 262-8201
Saturday, November 1. 2008
10:00 a.m .-6p.m .
Sunday, November 2, 2008
lp .m .- 4 p.m.
4566 NE 87th
P o rtla n d OR 97220
(1 block off 87th & Prescott)
H tured Items
• Fish Dinners
• Beautiful hand made embroidered, knitted, cr<
cheted, needle point, and sewed garments
• A wide variety of ethnic gilt items- figuri
holders, vases, jewelry,
crafted angels, paintings
children toys, beauty
• Homemade baked hoi
pastrics-cakes. pies, c
brownies,and fudge.
Please Join
Œb^ îü rth tn b (©Hgertter Newspaper
at
Community Service Awards Banquet
RESCHEDULED TO
Friday, March 20
7 p.m to 10 p.m.
This celebratory event will include music from local talent, awards of scholarships,
and community service awards for those in the community that realize the potential
in our city and communities who strive to continually give of themselves.
Charles Washington, the Publisher of the Portland Observer Newspaper carries on
the legacy of his mother's hard work in the community and her efforts in helping
those in the community.
for tickets or table information contact:
Kathy Linder email kathyl@portlandobserver.com or call 503-288-0033
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