Respect to Renaldo Obie Benson, one of the truly great singers of our time. 50 *million* records (I've got several) and the thing about the Four Tops is much of their obscure material is worth seeking out. Although they did a lot of schlocky pop covers, they even managed to make "MacArthur Park" kind of bearable :) My favorite mostly-unknowns are "My Past Caught My Future" and "It's All in the Game," a soaring remake of Tommy Edwards' 1958 pop hit originally written by Charles Dawes (who later was Vice President under Calvin Coolidge and no I'm not making that up). The Tops did ballad, pop, doowop and soul in the same track and made it all flow -- pure vocal genius.
Obie Benson joined the Four Aims (later renamed the Four Tops) in 1953, so he was a member of the group for 52 years. Their first #1 single, "I Can't Help Myself," was 40 years ago in May 1965. But there's one other thing about Obie Benson. He came up with "What's Going On" and co-wrote it with Marvin Gaye. Well, what more could there be to say :) http://books.guardian.co.uk/extracts/story/0,6761,615183,00.html -- fh --------------------------- Benson, member of Motown greats the Four Tops, dies at 69 July 1, 2005, 8:18 PM DETROIT (AP) -- Renaldo "Obie" Benson, a member of the legendary Motown singing group the Four Tops, has died, the group's road manager said Friday. He was 69. Benson died at 10 a.m. at Harper Hospital in Detroit, Fred L. Bridges said. Benson's death also was confirmed by Craig Hankenson, president of Producers Inc., one of the agencies that books dates for the Four Tops. "It was not unexpected. He has been ill," Hankenson said. Benson's death leaves two surviving members of the original group: Levi Stubbs and Abdul "Duke" Fakir. The fourth original Top, Lawrence Payton, died of liver cancer in 1997. The Four Tops sold more than 50 million records and recorded hit songs such as "Baby I Need Your Loving," "Reach Out (I'll be There)," "I Can't Help Myself" and "Standing in the Shadows of Love." The Four Tops began singing together in the 1950s under the group name the Four Aims and signed a deal with Chess Records. They later changed their names to the Four Tops. They signed with Motown Records in 1963 and produced a string of hits over the next decade, making music history with the other acts in Berry Gordy's Motown stable. The Four Tops are members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and were honored last year on the floor of the Michigan Senate with a resolution marking the group's 50th anniversary.
