Motown legends to play Symphony Hall

By K eith O ’C onnor Special to The Republican

TWO MOTOWN legends — The Temptations and The Four Tops — will bring their unmistakable sounds and fabulous harmonies to Springfield Symphony Hall on Sunday.

Showtime for the MGM Springfield-sponsored event is 7:30 p.m.

The Four Tops — they were originally called The Four Aims, but changed their name to avoid confusion with the already popular Ames Brothers — were discovered in 1964 by Berry Gordy who signed them to Motown in 1964. Gordy teamed the group with his newest hitmakers, writers Holland/Dozier/ Holland, and the result was “Baby I Need Your Loving” followed by their first No. 1 single “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch).”

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If you go, here’s what you need to know: a little-known trail on Mount Tom. There are dozens of trails on the mountain, but this is one of my favorites because it’s lesser-traveled than

• You don’t need to pay to park, but be careful crossing Route 141 as you get started. Folks will likely not stop!

• Pack a picnic. There are ample opportunities to sit and enjoy the views.

• Know that the main summit trail and its destination near the cluster of towers is a hotspot in summer, especially on the weekends.

• The terrain can be gravelly at times, making it quite slippery. Use poles if you are at all wary.

SEE MOUNT TOM, PAGE E7

In 1990, with 24 Top 40 pop hits to their credit, The Four Tops were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The group also received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and were ranked No. 79 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Originally called The Elgins, The Temptations were formed in 1961 by combining members from two Detroit vocal groups — The Primes and The Distants — and were signed by Motown in the same year. The Temptations, often referred to as “American Music Royalty,” were named the “No. 1 R&B/Hip Hop Artists of All Time” and one of the “125 Greatest of All Time Artists” by Billboard magazine, as well as one of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time” by Rolling Stone magazine. They were the first Motown band to win a Grammy Award — and have won three in total. In 2013, they were honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Amongst their many hits include “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination (Running Away with You),”

“Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone, and “Cloud Nine.”

Most of the original members of both groups have not survived. Abdul “Duke”

Fakir is the last original member of the original Four Tops lineup which now includes Lawrence Payton, Jr., whose late father Lawrence Payton was a founding member of the vocal group, Ronnie McNeir and Alexander Morris.

The Temptations had some 20 different group members over the band’s lifetime, including David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks, both of whom went on to solo careers. Their current lineup includes Otis Williams, 81, the only original band member, along with Ron Tyson, Terry Weeks, Tony Grant, and Jawan M. Jackson. Jackson, the group’s newest member, performed as part of the cast of the Tony-Award-winning Broadway musical, “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations.”

Tickets, available at mgmspringfield.mgm resorts.com and ticket master.com, range in price from $59 to $99.