About Me
Four Tops New SingleEast WestAvailable July 20, 2007 Lawrence Roquel Payton, Jr. didn’t really have a choice in the matter as far as his excelling in music was concerned. Born on June 15, 1960, the first son of the Four Tops’ quiet creative force, Lawrence Payton, young Lawrence’s talents were a birthright. Lawrence, Jr., affectionately known as “Roq,†provided the Four Tops with an instant spark as soon as he stepped into the spotlight left vacant by the untimely passing of Renaldo “Obie†Benson in July of 2005. Roq blended in seamlessly with fellow members Abdul “Duke†Fakir, Theo Peoples and Ronnie McNeir. Like Obie Benson before him, Roquel became an instant crowd-pleaser with his playful onstage persona. He worked with the group before joining them. Most notably, he backed the group during the taping of the Four Tops 50th Anniversary Concert Special, which was memorialized in DVD and CD form. Roq was part of the chorus heard backing the Four Tops during the live concert event. Two years into his tenure with the group, it’s difficult to imagine the new lineup of Four Tops without him. Growing up as a child of a Motown star, legendary talent surrounded him. People like Smokey Robinson, David Ruffin, Morris Broadnax, and Ivy Joe Hunter frequented the Payton home. Roquel’s taste in music was inspired by the eclectic tastes of his parents. He was exposed to artists as varied as Herbie Hancock, The Beatles, the great Motown acts and of course, the Four Tops. He took a liking to the piano at seven years old. Unlike most kids, who attempted to play what they heard on the radio, Roquel instead translated the melodies in his head into chord progressions. When Lawrence Sr. had time off from the road, Roquel would eagerly play his new creations. Roquel’s vocal ability was also apparent at a very young age. He would sing for his mother and her sisters. They encouraged Lawrence, Jr. to continue to sing. Nine year old Roquel teamed up to form a singing group with friends David Smith, Michael Smith and “a kid named Anthony.†They called themselves “The Temptings,†patterning themselves after The Four Tops’ friendly rivals, The Temptations. Roq remembers, “I wasn’t the best stepper, but I was the best vocal arranger of the group.†Roquel continued to explore the full range of his musical talents at the studio Lawrence, Sr. shared with his best friend, noted Detroit soul legend Fred Bridges. He learned the nuances of record engineering and developed a curiosity for songwriting. “One day, I had to be about 15 years old, I asked Fred, ‘what is a song?’ He broke it down for me, telling me all the elements that make a pop song. About a month later, I finished a song called ‘You Can’t Hold Back On Love,’ the first song of mine that the Four Tops recorded.†He quickly became known around town as an excellent pianist and a brilliant songwriter. While just a teenager, Roq amassed quite a collection of songwriting credits for the Four Tops and other noted acts such as Ruby Andrews, The Dramatics, and later, Shalamar. His vocals are as compelling as his songs. A self-described “crooner,†Roquel’s voice is intoxicating, as evidenced by his smooth vocal performance on the self-penned “Shakey Around You,†featured on the Four Tops’ 2005 limited edition release “Goin’ Home Around Midnight.†The subtle midtempo groove showcases Roq’s triple-threat talents as a thoughtful lyricist, a soulful crooner, and a vocal arranger par excellence. Roquel’s presence with the Four Tops seems natural now, but he never particularly longed to take over where his father left off. He preferred producing and writing for other acts. Fate stepped in on Roquel in 2004. He and one of his partners, noted Detroit bandleader Simone Vitale, began working on tracks for a jazz album intended for Vitale’s band. The arrangements took Roquel back to the Four Tops’ early days as the Four Aims, when they were known for their polished jazz act. When Roquel expressed this to Vitale, he balked, thinking of the “Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch†Four Tops as opposed to the “In The Still of the Night†Four Tops. Roq went to the studio the next day armed with “The Four Tops on Broadway†album, a collection of standards that showed off the group’s intricate jazz harmony arrangements. Vitale was impressed, and he came up with the idea of having the Four Tops sing backgrounds on the album. Roquel presented the idea to Duke and Obie. After hearing the tracks, the two men were sold on the idea on one condition: Roquel had to harmonize with them. The three men would go into the studio whenever Duke and Obie weren’t on the road. For Roquel, it was a unique opportunity for him to learn about his father’s partners as men. Then one day, Duke called Roquel to tell him Obie was under the weather and that he needed him to fill in for Obie at an upcoming Tops gig in Los Angeles. Roquel agreed to it. Luckily, just a few months earlier, Roquel had to learn harmonies to 29 Four Tops songs for the group’s 50th Anniversary television concert special. Although he usually sang second tenor in harmonies, of the four singers who backed the Four Tops, he was the one with a range low enough to take Obie’s parts. When it came time for him to join Theo, Ronnie and Duke on stage for the first time, the junior Payton was prepared. Unfortunately, Obie’s condition did not improve,and it was discovered that he was terminal, suffering from cancer and a host of other ailments. Lawrence Roquel Payton, Jr. was officially the Four Tops’ fourth member. The reality of the situation didn’t hit him until the Four Tops’ next gig, which took place at the famous Stardust. As the limousine pulled up to the iconic Las Vegas landmark, and he saw “THE FOUR TOPS†on the marquee in giant letters, his legs buckled beneath him. He went straight to his room and prayed all day. That evening, and for the remaining two nights at the Stardust, it was clear that Roquel Payton, Jr. was the perfect fit for the group. Although the current lineup captures the spirit of the classic lineup (Payton, Sr., Fakir, Benson and Levi Stubbs), Roquel and his newer counterparts Theo Peoples and Ronnie McNeir look forward to truly cementing their status as “The Four Tops†with a new release of original tunes. Although there is a recently released live collection (“The Collection,†recorded during the group’s final stint at the historic Stardust Hotel and Casino Showroom in Las Vegas in September 2006), the group is preparing to record new songs that will blend the Four Tops trademark sound with a contemporary edge. As expected, Roquel will be taking on songwriting and production duties for the new project. Oftentimes, children of legends find it difficult to make their own way. Not Roquel. He was adamant about making his own mark in music without the benefit of using his father’s name. With that in mind, there is a certain poetic justice to the son, using his own voice, to contribute to the legacy begun in part by the father. One gets the sense that Lawrence Roquel Payton, Jr. didn’t merely join the Four Tops; he just came home.
