10/01/2025
The Motown sound of The Temptations and the Four Tops graced the Smart Financial Centre on September 24, 2025. With a remarkable 63 years of performances, The Temptations featured Dr. Otis Willams, the last original living member, still touring. Sadly, Abdul “Duke” Fakir of the Four Tops passed away on July 22, 2024, at the age of 88. He continued to perform with The Four Tops until his passing, including a memorable show in Austin at Bass Concert Hall in 2022. Michael Brock stepped in as the first tenor vocalist for The Four Tops in 2024.
The Temptations concert showcased beloved hits such as “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me),” “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone.” Meanwhile, The Four Tops performed their first Motown hit, “Baby I Need Your Loving,” which launched their career in 1964. Their sixties catalog remains essential to any retrospective of the decade, featuring timeless tracks like “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch),” “It’s The Same Old Song,” and a romantic trilogy that includes “Reach Out I’ll Be There,” “Standing In The Shadows Of Love,” and “Bernadette.”
For fans of The Temptations and The Four Tops, this was truly a night to remember. The music from these iconic groups shaped my childhood, echoing through the radio stations of Chicago.
© 2025 Michael Lewis Global Photography, All Rights Reserved
Nokoa The Observer by Michael J. Lewis
Temptations
Four Tops
