September 11, 1959: Big Maybelle, Arthur Prysock and The Four Tops (The Four Aims) GROOVE the Flame Show Bar, Detroit, Michigan...

Detroit's Flame Show Bar

Her mountainous stature matching the sheer soulful power of her massive vocal talent, Big Maybelle was one of the premier R&B chanteuses of the 1950s. Her deep, gravelly voice was as singular as her recorded output for Okeh and Savoy, which ranged from down-in-the-alley blues to pop-slanted ballads. In 1967, she even covered ? & the Mysterians' "96 Tears" (it was her final chart appearance). Alleged drug addiction leveled the mighty belter at the premature age of 47, but Maybelle packed a lot of living into her shortened lifespan…In ’59 she rocked The Flame Showbar… 

 Arthur Prysock was

best known for his live shows and his baritone influenced by Billy Eckstine, Prysock was a mainstay with the Count Basie Band, as well as with Buddy Johnson’s big band in the 40s…


In 1952 Prysock went solo and signed with Decca to record the R&B hit, "I Didn’t Sleep a Wink Last Night" and he also recorded R&B classics such as "Good Rocking Tonight"…

The Four Tops

Founded in Detroit, Michigan 
as The Four Aims...

 Lead singer Levi Stubbs (born Levi Stubbles, a cousin of Jackie Wilson and brother of The Falcons' Joe Stubbs), and groupmates Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton remained together for over four decades, having gone from 1953 until 1997 without a single change in personnel….

So, it was most likely The Four Aims who rocked The Flame Showbar that night, sounding a lot like this…

YES, The Motor City ROCKED 
before there was MOTOWN and, 
from all accounts, 
The Flame Show Bar was  
THE ROCKIN’ JOINT…

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