Post by Diamond Girl on Oct 27, 2008 23:37:12 GMT -5
www.freep.com/article/20081027/ENT04/81027055
October 27, 2008
Friends, Motown alumni pay respect to Four Tops star
BY BRIAN McCOLLUM
FREE PRESS POP MUSIC WRITER
Even as they said goodbye to Levi Stubbs, they paid tribute to a legacy that will live for years to come.
The Motown luminary was given a grand farewell today in Detroit, his 72-year life commemorated by family members and friends, including an array of high-profile figures.
About 2,500 people gathered at Greater Grace Temple to pay final respects to the celebrated Four Tops singer, who died Oct. 17 after several years battling health problems. On hand were key figures from Stubbs’ life, including Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr., family friend the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Cliniece Stubbs, his wife of 48 years.
In a lengthy, warm-spirited ceremony, speakers paid tribute to a family man and hall of fame singer widely recognized as one of the 20th Century’s best. It was as celebratory as it was sorrowful, marked by lively tributes and a pair of standout musical performances by Detroiters Emanuel (E.J.) Johnson and Ali-Ollie Woodson.
Four Tops singer Abdul (Duke) Fakir, the Tops’ only surviving original member, was among the last to speak during the 3-hour event, choking up as he remembered his longtime friend. Fakir paid tribute to the unwavering solidarity that kept the original group together for nearly half a century.
“There will always be, through eternity, the four of us,” he said, quoting the line that famously opens the group’s concerts.
Outside on the church’s front drive, a queue of 10 white limousines awaited behind the hearse, a classic pearl-white LaSalle that would carry Stubbs’ body to Woodlawn Cemetery shortly after 3 p.m.
Inside the sanctuary, bountiful flower displays and a handsome vintage photo of the Four Tops lined the base of the altar by Stubbs’ casket. Held at Greater Grace to accommodate the large crowd, the ceremony included a eulogy by the Rev. Julius Hope of the Stubbs’ home church, New Grace Missionary Baptist.
“A tall tree has fallen in the forest,” said Hope.
Many speakers talked of Stubbs’ humility, noting that he declined to seek a lucrative solo career or hog attention at the expense of his group mates. Gordy, in town from his home in Los Angeles, recalled Stubbs’ turning down a lead role alongside Diana Ross in the 1972 film “Lady Sings the Blues” in favor of time with the Tops.
More than anything, they paid homage to his vocal gifts. Stubbs was a golden-throated baritone who “could be rough and tender at the same time,” conveying “joy, pain, happiness, despair,” said Gordy, who signed the Tops in 1963.
“It’s not a matter of coming along once in a decade, or once in a century, or even once in a lifetime,” said Gordy. “A Levi Stubbs comes along only once — period.”
Jackson revealed that he visited Stubbs at home a week before his death. Even in his diminished condition, wrought by a series of strokes, Stubbs displayed a familiar spark, Jackson said.
“He was still alive to the very end,” he said.
Jackson drew some of the day’s biggest applause in noting Stubbs’ final show with the Tops — a show for President Bill Clinton at the White House in 2000 — with a reference to the potential election of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
Many speakers peppered their talks with bits of Four Tops lyrics, referencing songs such as “Still Water (Love)” and “Reach Out I’ll Be There.”
In an only-in-Detroit moment, Detroit City Councilwoman Martha Reeves sang snippets of Four Tops hits as she read through her own resolution honoring Stubbs. Reeves, a Motown star in the 1960s, beckoned Motown alumni to gather down front to be recognized, prompting about 100 people to head down the aisles.
Detroit City Council issued a proclamation declaring Levi Stubbs Day on June 6, the singer’s birthday. A plaque was presented by council president pro tem JoAnn Watson.
The ceremony closed with a rousing eulogy by Bishop Charles Ellis of Greater Grace Temple.
In scope and magnitude, the day rivaled only the 1991 funeral of Temptations vocalist David Ruffin, several Motown observers said.
Most notable was Smokey Robinson’s poignant, spiritually tinged remembrance. Calling Stubbs “my brother,” he emphasized that the concept of a Motown family isn’t just fanciful mythology.
“I did not come here to be sad. I came to celebrate my brother’s life, because he will always be here,” he said.
Today’s funeral was the closing of another chapter in the Motown story. As the Detroit-born label heads toward its 50th anniversary next year, many of its biggest names are reaching their late years.
Robinson said Stubbs will continue to loom large through his music:
“Today you’ll turn on the radio and hear him. Tomorrow you’ll turn on the radio and hear him. We’ll never be able to forget him. All over the world they’ll be hearing Levi Stubbs forever.”
Contact BRIAN McCOLLUM at 313-223-4450 or mccollum@freepress.com.
October 27, 2008
Friends, Motown alumni pay respect to Four Tops star
BY BRIAN McCOLLUM
FREE PRESS POP MUSIC WRITER
Even as they said goodbye to Levi Stubbs, they paid tribute to a legacy that will live for years to come.
The Motown luminary was given a grand farewell today in Detroit, his 72-year life commemorated by family members and friends, including an array of high-profile figures.
About 2,500 people gathered at Greater Grace Temple to pay final respects to the celebrated Four Tops singer, who died Oct. 17 after several years battling health problems. On hand were key figures from Stubbs’ life, including Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr., family friend the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Cliniece Stubbs, his wife of 48 years.
In a lengthy, warm-spirited ceremony, speakers paid tribute to a family man and hall of fame singer widely recognized as one of the 20th Century’s best. It was as celebratory as it was sorrowful, marked by lively tributes and a pair of standout musical performances by Detroiters Emanuel (E.J.) Johnson and Ali-Ollie Woodson.
Four Tops singer Abdul (Duke) Fakir, the Tops’ only surviving original member, was among the last to speak during the 3-hour event, choking up as he remembered his longtime friend. Fakir paid tribute to the unwavering solidarity that kept the original group together for nearly half a century.
“There will always be, through eternity, the four of us,” he said, quoting the line that famously opens the group’s concerts.
Outside on the church’s front drive, a queue of 10 white limousines awaited behind the hearse, a classic pearl-white LaSalle that would carry Stubbs’ body to Woodlawn Cemetery shortly after 3 p.m.
Inside the sanctuary, bountiful flower displays and a handsome vintage photo of the Four Tops lined the base of the altar by Stubbs’ casket. Held at Greater Grace to accommodate the large crowd, the ceremony included a eulogy by the Rev. Julius Hope of the Stubbs’ home church, New Grace Missionary Baptist.
“A tall tree has fallen in the forest,” said Hope.
Many speakers talked of Stubbs’ humility, noting that he declined to seek a lucrative solo career or hog attention at the expense of his group mates. Gordy, in town from his home in Los Angeles, recalled Stubbs’ turning down a lead role alongside Diana Ross in the 1972 film “Lady Sings the Blues” in favor of time with the Tops.
More than anything, they paid homage to his vocal gifts. Stubbs was a golden-throated baritone who “could be rough and tender at the same time,” conveying “joy, pain, happiness, despair,” said Gordy, who signed the Tops in 1963.
“It’s not a matter of coming along once in a decade, or once in a century, or even once in a lifetime,” said Gordy. “A Levi Stubbs comes along only once — period.”
Jackson revealed that he visited Stubbs at home a week before his death. Even in his diminished condition, wrought by a series of strokes, Stubbs displayed a familiar spark, Jackson said.
“He was still alive to the very end,” he said.
Jackson drew some of the day’s biggest applause in noting Stubbs’ final show with the Tops — a show for President Bill Clinton at the White House in 2000 — with a reference to the potential election of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
Many speakers peppered their talks with bits of Four Tops lyrics, referencing songs such as “Still Water (Love)” and “Reach Out I’ll Be There.”
In an only-in-Detroit moment, Detroit City Councilwoman Martha Reeves sang snippets of Four Tops hits as she read through her own resolution honoring Stubbs. Reeves, a Motown star in the 1960s, beckoned Motown alumni to gather down front to be recognized, prompting about 100 people to head down the aisles.
Detroit City Council issued a proclamation declaring Levi Stubbs Day on June 6, the singer’s birthday. A plaque was presented by council president pro tem JoAnn Watson.
The ceremony closed with a rousing eulogy by Bishop Charles Ellis of Greater Grace Temple.
In scope and magnitude, the day rivaled only the 1991 funeral of Temptations vocalist David Ruffin, several Motown observers said.
Most notable was Smokey Robinson’s poignant, spiritually tinged remembrance. Calling Stubbs “my brother,” he emphasized that the concept of a Motown family isn’t just fanciful mythology.
“I did not come here to be sad. I came to celebrate my brother’s life, because he will always be here,” he said.
Today’s funeral was the closing of another chapter in the Motown story. As the Detroit-born label heads toward its 50th anniversary next year, many of its biggest names are reaching their late years.
Robinson said Stubbs will continue to loom large through his music:
“Today you’ll turn on the radio and hear him. Tomorrow you’ll turn on the radio and hear him. We’ll never be able to forget him. All over the world they’ll be hearing Levi Stubbs forever.”
Contact BRIAN McCOLLUM at 313-223-4450 or mccollum@freepress.com.
