June 14, 1936: Renaldo "Obie" Benson Born in Detroit...

Renaldo "Obie" Benson

(June 14, 1936 – July 1, 2005) 

 Founding member and bass voice of The Four Tops, which he joined in 1953, Obie continued to perform with the group for over five decades, until April 8, 2005…

 Obie, was born in Detroit as were all the FOUR TOPS…

Obie wrote "What'sGoing On" which became a #2 hit for Marvin Gaye in 1971, and which Rolling Stone rated as #4 on their List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time released in 2004…

When Barry Gordy moved Motown Records to Los Angeles in 1972,
 the Four Tops stayed in Detroit and joined the Dunhill label, continuing making hits like

 “Ain’t No Woman (Like The One I Got)"…

 

Benson died of lung cancer and other illnesses on July 1, 2005. His leg had been amputated earlier in 2005 due to circulation problems and he’d suffered a heart attack during that surgery and lung cancer was also detected at that time…

 So HAPPY BIRTHDAY OBIE and R.I.P.

THE USE OF ANY COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IS USED UNDER THE GUIDELINES OF "FAIR USE" IN TITLE 17 & 107 OF THE UNITED STATES CODE. SUCH MATERIAL REMAINS THE COPYRIGHT OF THE ORIGINAL HOLDER AND IS USED HERE FOR THE PURPOSES OF EDUCATION, COMPARISON, AND CRITICISM ONLY. NO INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT IS INTENDED… 

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…

THE USE OF ANY COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IS USED UNDER THE GUIDELINES OF "FAIR USE" IN TITLE 17 & 107 OF THE UNITED STATES CODE. SUCH MATERIAL REMAINS THE COPYRIGHT OF THE ORIGINAL HOLDER AND IS USED HERE FOR THE PURPOSES OF EDUCATION, COMPARISON, AND CRITICISM ONLY. NO INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT IS INTENDED