It may be the same old song, but it’s a different meaning when you introduce it to Gen Z.
Motown legends The Temptations and The Four Tops have spent the summer bringing their classic hits like “My Girl,” “Get Ready,” and “Baby I Need Your Loving” to audiences largely made up of fans old enough to remember when the songs first debuted on the radio.
But thanks to an effort to let young, local talent shine as their opening act, now a new generation is awakening to the sounds of the ’60s.
At a recent concert stop just outside Atlanta, the Temps and Tops 40th anniversary tour tapped The Young Singers of West Georgia to be their opening act.
The approximately 30 performers were all 18-years-old and under, and all local high school students. And they brought the crowd exactly the kind of music they had come to hear.
Temps & Tops Cultivate Young Fans
The Young Singers of West Georgia brought high energy and classic tunes to the audience at Sweetland Amphitheater in LaGrange, Georgia, as they waited for The Four Tops and The Temptations to take the stage.
The teen singers treated the crowd to choreographed routines as they sang the classics “Long Train Runnin’,” “Build Me Up Buttercup,” “Lovely Day” and “Love Train.”
“I had no idea how much I’d love this music,” said Young Singer member of 10 years Sophie Kate Corley. “It’s really a lot of fun.”
The performers were invited to stay for both the Tops and the Temps’ performances, and many of them got up and danced to the two groups’ classic hits.
The Temptations Put on an Amazing Show Defying Age Expectations
The Motown acts may consist of members who are more than three times the age of their opening act, but The Temptations and The Four Tops matched the energy of the teenagers when it was their turn to take the stage.
While the last surviving member of the original Four Tops died last year, The Temptations still feature original member Otis Williams, who continues to perform at age 83. And Williams kept up with choreography right alongside younger Temps Ron Tyson (75), Terry Weeks (61), Tony Grant (57) and Jawan Jackson (37).
While their music may be a new discovery for some of the Young Singers of West Georgia, both The Temptations and The Four Tops make IMDb’s list of the “45 Greatest R&B Groups of All Time.”
The Temps are third on that list and the Tops land at number 30.
With timeless hits like “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)” and “Papa was a Rollin’ Stone,” The Temptations’ songs still find their way into commercials and movies regularly.
Rolling Stone includes the group on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
The Four Tops are known for hits including “Baby I Need Your Loving,” “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” and “Ain’t No Woman (Like the One I’ve Got).” Their current lineup includes Lawrence Payton, Jr., who is the son of founding member Lawrence Payton, Sr.
Their joint tour continues through January 2026. You can find tickets here.
It was AMAZING