Levi Stubbs, the Four Tops frontman who sang some of the most iconic tunes of the Motown era, died Friday after a long illness, his family said, dpa reported.
Tubbs, 72, died in his sleep at the family's Detroit house and is survived by his wife, Clineice, five children and 11 grandchildren.
Born in 1936, Stubbs will be remembered for his powerful baritone vocals on classics such as Reach Out (I'll Be There), Baby I Need Your Loving and Standing in the Shadows of Love.
The Four Tops signed with Motown Records in 1963 and produced 20 top-40 hits over the next 10 years, making music history with the other acts in Motown Records chief Berry Gordy's stable.
"It is not only a tremendous personal loss for me, but for the Motown family and people all over the world who were touched by his rare voice and remarkable spirit," said Gordy, who produced the Four Tops' hits from 1963-73. "Levi was the greatest interpreter of songs I've ever heard."
The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Stubbs' death leaves Abdul "Duke" Fakir as the only surviving member of the band. Lawrence Payton died of liver cancer in 1997, and Renaldo "Obie" Benson died of lung cancer in 2005.