Park Foundation Music App

Home > Artists

Four Tops

U.S. vocal male soul quartet formed in 1953, in Detroit as The Four Aims. They made their recording debut in 1955 backing [a=Carolyn Hayes] on her [r=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 signwriting and production team of [a=Holland-Dozier-Holland]. After [a=Holland-Dozier-Holland] left [l=Motown] in 1967, the Four Tops were assigned to several producers, primarily [a=Frank Wilson]. When [l=Motown] left Detroit in 1972 to move to Los Angeles, California, the Tops stayed in Detroit and moved over to [l=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, [l=Motown], [l=Casablanca Records] and [l=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-present) Theo Peoples (1998-present) Ronnie McNeir (2000-present) Roquel Payton (2005-present)