Levi Stubbs (born Levi Stubbles , June 6, 1936 – October 17, 2008) was an American baritone singer, widely known as the lead vocalist of the R&B group the Four Tops , that released a variety of Motown hit records during the 1960s and 1970s. He was noted for his powerful, emotional, dramatic. singing style. In 1990, Stubbs was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Four Tops.
39-546: Stubbs was also a voice artist in film and television, and provided the voice of "Audrey II", the alien plant in the 1986 musical horror comedy film Little Shop of Horrors (an adaption of the stage musical of the same name ), as well as Mother Brain in the 1989 TV series Captain N: The Game Master . Stubbs was admired by his peers for his impressive vocal range, and influenced many later pop and soul artists, such as Daryl Hall of Hall and Oates . Stubbs
78-505: A breakthrough due to its supposed ability to give actors more control over licensing their voice and how it may be used, the deal received backlash for its actual lack of protections from prominent voice actors such as Steve Blum , Joshua Seth , Veronica Taylor , and Shelby Young . The use of AI voices in video games and animation has also been criticized in general by voice actors such as Jennifer Hale , David Hayter , Maile Flanagan , and Ned Luke . AI voices have caused concern due to
117-733: A career of it across many of the main game-manufacturing countries, mostly the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Their names have sometimes been linked to a particular character they have voiced. Notable video game voice actors include Maaya Sakamoto (the Japanese version of Lightning in Final Fantasy XIII ), Tatsuhisa Suzuki (Noctis Lucis Caelum in Final Fantasy XV ), Miyu Irino (the Japanese version of Sora in
156-459: A film, the voice actors spoke instead of the film actors. Although this type of voice is related to years ago and now with the increase of facilities, it is possible to record the voice of the actors at the same time, but even today, sometimes the voice of the voice actors is used instead of the main actor. The tail of the voice is on Iranian animations, and like in other parts of the world, voice actors speak instead of animated characters. But most of
195-468: A foreign-language film or television series. Voice-over translation is an audiovisual translation technique, in which, unlike in Dub localization, actor voices are recorded over the original audio track, which can be heard in the background. This method of translation is most often used in documentaries and news reports to translate words of foreign-language interviewees. Automated dialogue replacement (ADR)
234-460: A narrow, flat inflection pattern (or prosody pattern) whereas radio commercials, especially local ones, tend to be voiced with a very wide inflection pattern in an almost over-the-top style . Marketers and advertisers use voice-overs in radio, TV, online adverts, and more; total advertising spend in the UK was forecast to be £21.8 billion in 2017. Voice-over used in commercial adverts had traditionally been
273-626: A record with two members of War, Harold Brown and B.B. Dickerson , The Other Side of War Warms Your Heart on Soufflé Records, which featured Bobby Womack on guitar. Lonnie Jordan is the only current member of War from the original lineup. Four other members created a new group called Lowrider Band . In 2017, Lonnie Jordan co-wrote and featured on vocals on the Alex Puddu album From the Beginning on three songs "Runaway Boys", "Nobody" and "Stormy Weather". This article about an American guitarist
312-507: A solo career, out of loyalty to his bandmates. Stubbs and the other Tops remained a team until Lawrence Payton died in 1997, at which point Theo Peoples took his place. The Four Tops were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2013. They have sold over 50 million records worldwide. During the band's long career it was signed to
351-521: A stroke, with Ronnie McNeir taking the place that Lawrence Payton originally held. Renaldo Benson died on July 1, 2005, leaving Duke Fakir as the only surviving member of the Four Tops' original lineup. Stubb's final performance with the Four Tops was at the group's "50th Anniversary Concert" on July 28, 2004, at the Detroit Opera House . Stubbs provided the voice of the carnivorous plant Audrey II in
390-551: A voice actor in Brazil, one needs to be a professional actor and attend dubbing courses. Some celebrities in Brazil have also done voice acting. Voice acting in Iran is divided into three categories. Voice over Persian films , voice over Iranian animations, and dubbing of films and animations related to other countries (in non-Persian language) In the first category, due to the lack of facilities for simultaneous recording of sound while filming
429-451: A voice actor may involve singing, most often when playing a fictional character, although a separate performer is sometimes enlisted as the character's singing voice. A voice actor may also simultaneously undertake motion capture acting . Non-fictional voice acting is heard through pre-recorded and automated announcements that are a part of everyday modern life in areas such as stores, elevators, waiting rooms, and public transport. Voice acting
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#1732858492040468-649: A woman whose Four Tops cassette brings her comfort through difficult times. Voice artist Voice acting is the art of performing a character or providing information to an audience with one's voice. Performers are often called voice actors/actresses in addition to other names. Examples of voice work include animated , off-stage, off-screen, or non-visible characters in various works such as films, dubbed foreign films, anime , television shows, video games, cartoons, documentaries , commercials, audiobooks , radio dramas and comedies , amusement rides, theater productions, puppet shows, and audio games. The role of
507-528: Is a required story element; in other types of (chiefly non-literary) narratives (such as plays, television shows, video games, and films) narration is optional. One of the most common uses for voice acting is within commercial advertising. The voice actor is hired to voice a message associated with the advertisement. This has different sub-genres such as television, radio, film, and online advertising. The sub-genres are all different styles in their own right. For example, television commercials tend to be voiced with
546-440: Is more freedom because there is no need to match a dub to the original actor or animated character. Producers and agencies are often on the lookout for many styles of voices, such as booming voices for more dramatic productions or cute, young-sounding voices for trendier markets. Some voices sound like regular, natural, everyday people; all of these voices have their place in the voiceover world, provided they are used correctly and in
585-427: Is recognized as a specialized dramatic profession in the United Kingdom, primarily due to BBC Radio 's long and storied history of producing radio dramas . The voices for animated characters are provided by voice actors. For live-action productions, voice acting often involves reading the parts of computer programs, radio dispatchers or other characters who never actually appear on screen. With an audio drama, there
624-454: Is the process of re-recording dialogue by the original actor after the filming process to improve audio quality or reflect dialogue changes, also known as "looping" or a "looping session". ADR is also used to change original lines recorded on set to clarify context, improve diction or timing , or to replace an accented vocal performance. In the UK, it is also called "post-synchronization" or "post-sync". Voice artists are also used to record
663-1739: The Kingdom Hearts series), David Hayter ( Solid Snake and Big Boss in the Metal Gear series), Steve Downes and Jen Taylor ( Master Chief and Cortana in the Halo series), Nolan North ( Nathan Drake in the Uncharted series and Desmond Miles in the Assassin's Creed series), Troy Baker ( Joel in The Last of Us series) and Charles Martinet (former voice actor for Mario , Luigi , Wario , and Waluigi in Nintendo 's Mario franchise). Other actors more linked with film or television acting have also voiced video game characters, such as Ray Liotta ( Tommy Vercetti in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Billy Handsome in Call of Duty: Black Ops II ), Michael Dorn (various characters in World of Warcraft and Gatatog Uvenk in Mass Effect 2 ), Kaili Vernoff (Miranda Cowan in Grand Theft Auto V and Susan Grimshaw in Red Dead Redemption 2 ), Ashley Johnson ( Ellie in The Last of Us series), Kristen Bell ( Lucy Stillman in
702-553: The Motown , ABC Dunhill , Arista and Casablanca record labels, and Stubbs' vocals influenced many later pop and soul artists, such as Daryl Hall of Hall and Oates . Hall has remarked that Stubbs' "unique" style rendered the Four Tops' material "timeless". Other musical peers expressing admiration for the Four Tops' work include Lonnie Jordan of War and Smokey Robinson of The Miracles , among many others. In 2000, Theo Peoples replaced Stubbs as lead singer after Stubbs suffered
741-597: The 1986 film version of the musical Little Shop of Horrors , in which he sang the Oscar-nominated " Mean Green Mother from Outer Space ". He also was the voice of Mother Brain in the animated TV series Captain N: The Game Master (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
780-541: The Four Tops singer's "voice was so good he was just, like, from another planet." Stubbs and his wife Clineice were married (for 48 years) from 1960 until his death in 2008. The couple had five children along with 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Stubbs was diagnosed with cancer in 1995, and after suffering a stroke in 2000, he was no longer able to tour with the Four Tops. He died in his sleep on October 17, 2008, at his home in Detroit. A memorial service for Stubbs
819-600: The Shadows of Love ", " Bernadette ", "Still Water (Love)", " Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got) ", as well as the late hit " Loco In Acapulco ". Despite being the most prominent member of the group, Stubbs refused to have separate billing (in contrast to other Motown acts such as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and Diana Ross and the Supremes ), and he also turned down several offers for
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#1732858492040858-449: The activities of Iranian voice actors are in the field of dubbing foreign films. In this case, the main language of the film is translated into Persian, and the dubbing director compiles the sentences according to the atmosphere of the film and the movement of the actors 'mouths and other such cases, and finally the voice actors play roles instead of the actors' voices. Actors often lend their voices to characters in games and some have made
897-694: The creation of believable audio deepfakes featuring celebrities or other public figures saying things they did not actually say, which could lead to a synthetic version of their voice being used against them. In October 2023, during the start of the British Labour Party 's conference in Liverpool , an audio deepfake of Labour leader Keir Starmer was released that falsely portrayed him verbally abusing his staffers and criticizing Liverpool. That same month, an audio deepfake of Slovak politician Michal Šimečka falsely claimed to capture him discussing ways to rig
936-446: The entertainment industry have reacted negatively to this development due to the threat it poses to their livelihood. The 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike included negotiations between the union and Hollywood studios about the regulation of AI, as well as discussions with video game studios about new terms that would protect voice actors who specialize in that field. Although SAG-AFTRA heralded the deal it struck with AI company Replica Studios as
975-647: The first three mainline entries in the Assassin's Creed franchise) and Kevin Spacey (Jonathan Irons in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare ). Some actors from both live-action and animated works have also reprised their respective roles in video games, such as Kevin Conroy ( Batman ) and Mark Hamill ( The Joker ) in the Batman: Arkham series, Sylvester Stallone ( John Rambo ) in Mortal Kombat 11 , various actors from
1014-541: The individual sample fragments played back by a computer in an automated announcement. At its simplest, each recording consists of a short phrase which is played back when necessary, such as the " mind the gap " announcement introduced on the London Underground in 1969, which is currently voiced by Emma Clarke . In a more complicated system, such as a speaking clock, the announcement is re-assembled from fragments such as "minutes past", "eighteen", and "p.m." For example,
1053-438: The only area of voice acting where "de-breathing" was used. This means artificially removing breaths from the recorded voice, and is done to stop the audience being distracted in any way from the commercial message that is being put across. However, removal of breaths has now become increasingly common in many other types of voice acting. Dub localization is the practice of voice-over translation , in which voice actors alter
1092-563: The opening or closing themes of shows in which they star, or become involved in non-animated side projects such as audio dramas (involving the same characters in new storylines) or image songs (songs sung in character that are not included in the anime but which further develop the character). Most of the films in the theaters are dubbed in Portuguese , and most Brazilians tend to prefer watching movies in their native language. Many voice actors are also dubbing directors and translators. To become
1131-623: The people who had been banned. Voice actor ( Japanese : 声優 , Hepburn : Seiyū ) occupations include performing roles in anime , audio dramas, and video games; performing voice-overs for dubs of non-Japanese movies; and providing narration to documentaries and similar programs. Japan has approximately 130 voice acting schools and troupes of voice actors who usually work for a specific broadcast company or talent agency. They often attract their own appreciators and fans, who watch shows specifically to hear their favorite performer. Many Japanese voice actors frequently branch into music, often singing
1170-479: The right context. In the context of voice acting, narration is the use of spoken commentary to convey a story to an audience. A narrator is a personal character or a non-personal voice that the creator of the story develops to deliver information about the plot to the audience. The voice actor who plays the narrator is responsible for performing the scripted lines assigned to them. In traditional literary narratives (such as novels, short stories, and memoirs) narration
1209-492: 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, Stubbs had a "pleading urgency in his voice that perfectly captured the longing anxiousness of the songs written by the producing trio of Holland-Dozier-Holland". War band member Lonnie Jordan later told Billboard.com he felt "blessed" to meet Stubbs, and thought that
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1248-558: The then-popular Ames Brothers . The Four Tops began as a supper-club act before signing to Motown Records in 1963. By the end of the decade, they had over a dozen hits . The most popular of their hits (all of which featured Stubbs on lead vocals) include " Ask the Lonely ", " Baby I Need Your Loving ", " I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) ", " It's the Same Old Song ", " I'll Turn to Stone ", " Reach Out I'll Be There ", " Standing in
1287-680: The upcoming election. In January 2024, voters in the New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary received phone calls featuring an AI-generated voice of U.S. President Joe Biden that tried to discourage them from voting. In films, television, and commercials, voice actors are often recruited through voice acting agencies. The UK banned broadcasting of the voices of people linked to violence in Northern Ireland from 1988 to 1994, but television producers circumvented this by simply having voice actors dub over synchronized footage of
1326-719: The word "twelve" can be used for both "Twelve O'Clock" and "Six Twelve". Automated announcements can also include on-hold messages on phone systems and location-specific announcements in tourist attractions. Since the late 2010s, software to modify and generate human voices has become more popular. In 2019, AI startup Dessa created the computer-generated voice of Joe Rogan using thousands of hours of audio from his podcast , while video game developer Ubisoft used speech synthesis to give thousands of characters distinguished voices in its 2020 game Watch Dogs: Legion , and Google announced that same year their solution to generate human-like speech from text. Most voice actors and others in
1365-580: The works of Walt Disney Animation Studios in Kingdom Hearts , and Mike Pollock ( Doctor Eggman ) in Sonic the Hedgehog . Lonnie Jordan Leroy " Lonnie " Jordan (born November 21, 1948) is an American musician and songwriter. He is a founding member of the American funk band War . Jordan had a number of roles over the years, acting as vocalist and playing guitar, piano, synthesizer, and percussion. He
1404-469: Was Jackie Wilson . Stubbs attended Detroit Pershing High School , where he met Abdul "Duke" Fakir . He began his professional singing career with friends Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton , forming a singing group called the Four Aims in 1954. Two years later, after signing with Chess Records , the group changed their name to the Four Tops. The name change was meant to avoid confusion with
1443-483: Was among the first three people to join the group after its inception, having joined before the group adopted the name "War" (it had previously been known as "the Creators" and "Nightshift"), as well as being the group's only remaining original member. Jordan recorded as a solo artist with MCA in 1977 and Boardwalk in 1982. He has also recorded with Eric Burdon , Tanya Tucker , T. Rex and Los Lobos . Jordan also made
1482-556: Was born and spent much of his life in Detroit, Michigan . He had five children with his wife Clineice Stubbs, to whom he was married for almost 50 years. His last performance was at the Four Tops' "50th Anniversary Concert" on July 28, 2004, at the Detroit Opera House . Born in 1936 in Detroit, Michigan , Stubbs had a brother, Joe , who later became a member of 100 Proof (Aged in Soul) , The Falcons , The Contours and The Originals . His cousin
1521-622: Was held at the Greater Grace Temple in Detroit on October 27. Many of Stubbs' friends from the music industry attended including Berry Gordy , Martha Reeves , Brian Holland , Ali-Ollie Woodson and Dennis Edwards . Detroit City Council member JoAnn Watson, along with Martha Reeves, presented a resolution naming Stubbs' birthday "Levi Stubbs Day" in Detroit. Stubbs is interred at Detroit's historic Woodlawn Cemetery . Stubbs features in Billy Bragg 's 1986 song " Levi Stubbs' Tears ", about
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