Levi Stubbs | |
|---|---|
 Stubbs performing in 1967 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Levi Stubbles |
| Born | June 6, 1936 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | October 17, 2008 (aged 72) Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Genres | R&B, soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, actor |
| Years active | 1953–2000, 2004 |
| Labels | Motown |
Levi Stubbs (born Levi Stubbles, June 6, 1936 – October 17, 2008) was an American baritone singer. He was best known as the lead vocalist of the R&B group the Four Tops, who released a variety of Motown hit records during the 1960s and 1970s. He was noted for his powerful, emotional, dramatic style of singing. In 1990, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Four Tops.
Stubbs was also a voice artist in film and television, and provided the voice of "Audrey II", the alien plant in the 1986 musical horror comedy film Little Shop of Horrors (an adaption of the stage musical of the same name), as well as Mother Brain in the 1989 TV series Captain N: The Game Master. Stubbs was admired by his peers for his impressive vocal range, and influenced many later pop and soul artists, such as Daryl Hall of Hall and Oates.[1]
Stubbs was born and spent much of his life in Detroit, Michigan. He had five children with his wife Clineice Stubbs, to whom he was married for almost 50 years. His last performance was at the Four Tops' "50th Anniversary Concert" on July 28, 2004, at the Detroit Opera House.[1]
- ^ a b Graff, Gary (2008-10-17). "Four Tops Vocalist Levi Stubbs Dies At 72". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2020-04-20.