大象传媒

Born on Boxing Day, 1935, Abdul Fakir - better known as Duke Fakir, took to music at an early age.

But it wasn't until he attended a friend's birthday party in 1953 that along with his old school mate Levi Stubbs he met Lawrence Payton and Renaldo "Obie" Benson. It was that night they all sang together at the party and enjoyed it so much they went on to set up their own group - called The Four Aims.

After a name change to The Four Tops - they signed to Mowtown records and the rest, as they say, was history. But history would signify events of the past. And yet The Four Tops still tour today. They're coming to the East Midlands in October. But Duke Fakir is the soul surviving member from the original band.

Duke Fakir will be returning in the autumn with The Four Tops and, now it his 80s, Jonathan told him it was astounding where he gets his energy from.