Abdul “Duke” Fakir of the Four Tops is born in Detroit, MI.
Levi Stubbs, lead singer for the Four Tops, is born in Detroit, MI.
Renaldo “Obie” Benson of the Four Tops is born in Detroit, MI.
Lawrence Payton of the Four Tops is born in Detroit, MI.
Levi Stubbs, Renaldo “Obie” Benson, Abdul “Duke” Fakir and Lawrence Payton form a vocal group, the Four Aims, in their hometown of Detroit. A year later they will change their name to the Four Tops.
The Four Tops sign to Berry Gordy’s Motown Records.
The Four Tops hit #11 with “Baby I Need Your Loving,” the first of many songs written for them by the crack Motown songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland.
“I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” becomes the Four Tops’ first #1 hit.
The Four Tops hit #19 with “Something About You”.
The Four Tops earn their second Number One single and the biggest hit of their career with “Reach Out, I’ll Be There.”
“Bernadette,” by the Four Tops, enters the Top Forty. It will rise to #4, becoming their fifth Top Ten hit in two years.
“Ain’t No Woman Like the One I Got,” by the Four Tops, peaks at #4. It is their 20th Top Forty hit in ten years at Motown.
Lawrence Payton of the Four Tops succumbs to liver cancer at his home in Southfield, MI.
The Four Tops appear on Motown’s 25th Anniversary TV special. They also re-sign with the label, which they left in 1972.
The Four Tops enter the Top Forty for the 24th and final time with “Indestructible,” which NBC-TV uses for its coverage of the 1988 Summer Olympics.
The Four Tops are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the fifth annual induction dinner. Stevie Wonder is their presenter.
The Four Tops receive the Pioneer Award for Lifetime Achievement at the eighth annual Rhythm & Blues Foundation dinner in New York.
Levi Stubbs is forced to stop touring with the Four Tops after having suffered a series of strokes.
Renaldo “Obie” Benson, the bass singer for the Four Tops, dies at age 69 after a brief battle with cancer.
Four Tops lead singer Levi Stubbs dies at his home in Detroit at age 72.
