The Four Tops & Me Up on 126th Street

There's so much news right now about the 75th anniversary of the Apollo Theatre in Harlem my head keeps thinking about time spent there--good and bad. The stage door at the Apollo is unassuming, just a black door that exits out onto 126th Street. The night we were taping "Motown Returns to the Apollo," I was standing out by the door watching the crowd moving so much it looked like they were actually pulsating behind the painted barriers. There were tents alongside the theatre and the crowds were screaming if they recognized anyone coming out the stage door and entering the tents. Unfortunately, I was standing there as New Edition passed by and suddenly the crowd broke through the barrier and rushed the place. I got thrown up against the brick wall, knocked half senseless. I staggered back inside the building and Tony Jones looked at the goofy expression on my face and told me I should go back to hotel right away. I asked who could I catch a ride with? Levi Stubbs was walking past and said, "Ruthie can come with us." So I limped over to their limo and the guys --Obie, Duke and Lawrence wanted to know what was wrong. After I told them what had happened, one of them said they knew what would fix me right up. Off we went to Sylvia's for an order to go. Where I am from in the South, they say "There are times when only grease will do." This was one of them so I told the fellas 'Fried chicken with everything." They bought it and brought it back and for the half hour/45 minutes it took to get from Harlem to the Intercontinental Hotel in Manhattan, the whole car was filled with all the soul food smells that always seem comforting. In we went to the Intercontinental dripping greens juice on the Oriental carpet. Soon I was in my bed dripping greens juice on the luxurious duvet, laughing at the truth in the fact that the Tops knew what would fix me right up. When Levi sang "Still Waters Run Deep," all there is to say is "Yes they do." Obie, Lawrence and Levi, now gone were extremely talented, down to earth, gentle-men--and so is Duke --Ruth Adkins Robinson