Good News Tucson - A Family Values Publication

The Temps and Tops In Tucson! by Travis Kelly

"I know you want to leave me…"

The Four Tops pictured above

The Temptations pictured above

I can hear it ring out as if it were playing right now. The soothing soulful voice of David Ruffin booming through the start of "Ain't to Proud to Beg" makes a person want to get up and dance and sing along. The Temptations could out dance, out dress and out sing any act in their heyday.

The names and faces have changed but two of Motown's champs are in Tucson this month! Rock and Roll Hall of Fame acts The Temptations and The Four Tops are going to be singing and dancing the night away at the Desert Diamond Casino on March 15th. These two groups share a combined 102 years of musical experiences that have internationally reached millions of fans. These two musical giants made a difference in pop music way back then and now they are making a difference right here in Tucson.

The Temptations, still led by active founding member Otis Williams, have recently recorded their 48th album in their award winning musical career. The famed line-up of David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin, Paul Williams, and Otis Williams last performed together in 1968. The door has revolved since but the constant has been the music, shows, and Otis Williams. The Temp's were formed in 1960. By 1964 they were Motown's number 1 act. The group charted 16 top twenty hits- 14 #1's on the R&B chart and 4 #1's on the pop chart.

Nine Temptation albums have reached the top ten. They have won three Grammy Awards. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999. The Temptations ranked in Rolling Stone Magazine's top 100 artists of all time in 2004. The songs are timeless and coast-to-coast they still get radio play. Their set will be loaded with the standard classics "The Way You Do the Things You Do," "Get Ready," "Since I Lost My Baby" and their signature song "My Girl."

Through the years, musical colleagues have paid the Temptations the utmost respect. Their music has been covered by the likes of Bette Midler, Luther Vandross, Duran Duran, and the Rolling Stones. Their legacy and influence has reached bands such as Boyz II Men as recently as the 1990's. If you can't be sold on the Temps then check out the Tops.

The Four Tops may hold the distinction of being the longest running band/ vocal group in American Pop Music culture without a personnel change. The Tops went 44 years with their original cast singing, dancing and performing. The Four Tops formed in 1954 by front man Levi Stubbs, Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo Obie Benson, and Lawrence Payton performed together consistently until 1997 when Lawrence Payton succumbed to liver cancer. The current lineup features founding member Duke Fakir and Lawrence "Roquel" Payton the son of founding member Lawrence Payton. Levi Stubbs is now too sick to travel and perform with the group and Renaldo Benson passed away in 2005.

The Tops are legends in music the business and in their own right have carved a place in Pop Music history. "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)," "Reach Out, I'll Be There," "Baby, I Need Your Loving" and "Bernadette" were huge chart topping hits by the Tops and remain staples in their shows to this day. They are the architects of 18 top twenty hits. Three of those songs went to number one on the R&B charts and two of them went to number one on the Pop Charts. The Four Tops were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Vocal Music Hall of Fame in 1999. They made the 2004 list of the Top 100 Artists of All Time in Rolling Stone Magazine. The Tops will be sure to unload all their hits and work the crowd into a dancing frenzy.

In the 1960's these two groups made a difference in the music that was heard and played. The Temps and Tops took a stand for issues of those times. Together along with many other artists from that era they defined a sound. Today these same musicians continue to make a difference. They are taking a stand for education and they are doing it right here in Tucson. The March 15th show at Desert Diamond Casino is a benefit show.

The 12th Annual "Laughter on the Sunnyside" will feature The Temptations and The Four Tops.

The proceeds benefit the non-profit Sunnyside Unified School District Foundation. They fund annual mini-grants for extracurricular scholastic, artistic and athletic programs in SUSD schools. They also provide scholarships to graduating seniors. "Laughter on the Sunnyside" is a great opportunity to join as partners in education to support educational enrichment for students. Dinner and Show tickets are $150, half of which is tax deductible. Tickets for just the show run $45. For more information on the Foundation, contact Nicola Hartman at 520-437-1163.

The Temps and Tops are here for one night in Tucson. Together they will turn back the clock. They will sing to make a difference in our own education system. Songs of yesterday will glide through the evening. Young and old, the crowd will gather and sing along, some for the first time, others for the hundredth or thousandth time. These two Motor City musical icons will work their magic through their songs. The songs that the Temps and Tops will perform here in Tucson have become part of the American soundtrack.

Travis Kelly is a freelance writer and the Men’s Ministry Director at Pathway of Hope Foursquare Church in Oro Valley.