Levi Stubbs, Abdul Fakir, Renaldo Benson and Lawrence Payton
began singing in 1953 while attending high school in Detroit
under the name “The Four Ames”, but would change their
name to “The Four Tops” to dismiss any confusion with
the very successful group, “The Ames Brothers”.

While touring as a nightclub act they recorded for several record
companies including Chess and Columbia, but it was not until they
signed with home town label Motown that The Four Tops had their
first big hit in 1964, “Baby, I Need Your Lovin’”. The following year
The Four Tops had their first #1 hit, “I Can’t Help Myself”. It was
followed a few months later with a top five, “It’s the Same Old Song”.
In 1966 “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” topped the charts and was
followed in 1967 with two top five hits, “Standing in the
Shadows of Love” and “Bernadette”.

Among their other hits were, “Something About You”,
“Shake Me, Wake Me”, “Walk Away Renee”, “If I Were a Carpenter”,
“Still Water”, “River Deep, Mountain High”, “Keeper of the Castle”
and “Ain’t No Woman, Like the One I’ve Got”.

Until the passing of Laurence Payton in 1997, the original Four Tops
stayed together performing for four decades. They were inducted
into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.