Four Tops singing for 44 years with the Four Tops who, unlike many Motown groups, never had a single lineup change until then. At first, Levi Stubbs, Obie Benson, and Duke Fakir toured as a trio called "The Tops". In 1998, they recruited former Temptation Theo Peoples to restore the group to a quartet. By the turn of the century, Stubbs had become ill from cancer; Ronnie McNeir was recruited to fill the Lawrence Payton position and Peoples stepped into Stubbs' shoes as lead singer. Stubbs later died on October 17, 2008 at his home in Detroit. The group also did commercials
Lewis Stubbs Farmers's Unity League ran a candidate against him. Stubbs was also criticized for bringing his personal controversies into the campaign, and his religious beliefs were questioned by some (originally an Anglican, Stubbs became a secular humanist in later years). His former ally William Lyon MacKenzie King now campaigned against him, and when the election was held on October 23, Stubbs was defeated by Liberal John Angus MacMillan by 1614 votes. Notwithstanding his setback, Stubbs chose to run as an Independent candidate in Manitoba's 1936 provincial election. He ran in the riding of Winnipeg, which at the time elected ten members