The Four Tops

Just guess who I met at one time in my life.."Obie" (aka: Renaldo Benson). The Four Tops Quartet use to seranade many times at 1000 Yuma Street, Manhattan, Kansas in summer of 1960.

I became acquainted with "Obie" and his wife Val while my husband was serving at the Big Red One/Fort Riley. The Four Tops all signed together with the U.S. military and went on many weekend trips while stationed at Ft. Riley.

Levi Stubbs and Abdul "Duke" Fakir sang together in a group while at Pershing High School, later joined with Renaldo Benson and Lawrence Payton (who attended Northern High School, all in Detroit, MI). They began singing at a friends birthday party in 1954 and began calling themselves the Four Aims.

In 1964, they signed with Berry Gordy's Motown records and the rest is history. I did not know that "Obie" was a co-writer of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" that is still widely sung today....even the quoted saying of "what's goin' on". Blog for more info on these guys...they were super.

Nancy --Ahh Nancy Wilson

What about that Nancy Wilson who was born in Chillicothe, Ohio; grew up in Columbus where her Father provided early exposure to vocalists as Billy Eckstine, Louis Jordan, Ruth Brown, LaVerne Baker, Nat King Cole, Jimmy Rushing, & Little Jimmy Scott. Rushing sang with Count Basie's Orchestra and Scott with Lionel Hampton. Nancy began her career at age 15 singing in church & school choirs..

In 1959, Nancy moved to New York city desiring a contract with Capitol records as her label; within four weeks she got her big break as a fill in for Irene Reid at The Blue Morocco. She was booked singing four nights and worked as a receptionist during the day. John Levy caught her show and from there she went only upwards.

Nancy appeared in many variety shows as The Andy Williams Show, The Carol Burnett Show, The Flip Wilson Show, I Spy, Hawaii Five-O, Police Story, The Cosby Show, Soul Food, The Parker's and many more in acting roles.

R.S.V.P.(Rare Songs, Very Personal) was released on August 25, 2004 and in 2005 she received the GRAMMY Award for Best Jazz vocal Album; releasing in 1964 "How Glad I Am"

Today, she works hard to raise AIDS awareness in African-American communities in the USA, appearing occasionally on shows. Google Nancy Wilson for more!