associated_acts death_date death_place years_active birth_place label background birth_date genre image article_title occupation
the four tops 17 october 2008 detroit , michigan , u.s. 1954 -- 2008 detroit , michigan , u.s. motown solo_singer 6 june 1936 r & b , soul levi stubbs.jpg levi stubbs
 singer , actor
levi stubbs

levi stubbs -lrb- june 6 , 1936 -- october 17 , 2008 -rrb- was an american baritone singer , best known as the lead vocalist of the r&b group the four tops , a band known for a variety of motown hit records and other songs created in the 1960s and 1970s .
the power of stubbs ' emotional , often dramatic vocals have received praise from many critics over the years ; for example , allmusic 's ed hogan has remarked that stubbs ' had a `` pleading urgency in his voice that perfectly captured the longing anxiousness of the songs written by the producing trio of holland-dozier-holland '' .
as well , war band member lonnie jordan told billboard.com he felt `` blessed '' to meet stubbs and thought that the four tops singer 's `` voice was so good he was just , like , from another planet . ''
he was also a voice artist in film and animated television series , most famously having provided the voice of the alien plant in the 1986 comedic horror film `` little shop of horrors '' -lrb- an adaption of the stage musical of the same name -rrb- as well as mother brain in the 1989 tv series '' '' .
stubbs was admired by his peers for his impressive vocal range , having influenced many later pop and soul artists such as daryl hall of hall and oates .
stubbs had five children .
living in detroit , michigan for much of his life , including his last days , he was married to clineice stubbs for over forty years until his death .
his last performance was at the four tops ' `` 50th anniversary concert '' on july 28 , 2004 at the detroit opera house .
