Levi Stubbs of Mother Brain in the animated TV series "" (1989). Stubbs also guest-starred in a number of TV shows as himself. Berry Gordy offered him the role of Louis McKay in the 1972 film "Lady Sings the Blues", which would have starred him opposite Diana Ross as Billie Holiday. Stubbs turned the role down, however, once again not wishing to overshadow the other members of the Four Tops. Stubbs has been regarded by some as one of the quintessential male soul singers. According to AllMusic's Ed Hogan, the vocalist had a "pleading urgency in his voice that perfectly captured the
Cuddly Dudley (singer) band, The Embraceable Four, with whom he supported The Platters on their 1960 UK tour, and released a second single, a cover of Chuck Berry's "Too Pooped To Pop". In 1961 he became the lead singer with "The Redcaps", with whom he released a single "Sitting on a Train". Originally known as "Red-E-Lewis and the Redcaps" (named after Gene Vincent's The Blue Caps) original lead singer Reddy Lewis (Edward Stubbs) had left to form the Red Cats, with Jimmy Page on guitar. The Redcaps comprised Mick Green, Vic Cooper, Frank Farley, Johnny Patto and Johnny Spence, and from May–July 1961