Obie Benson, whose career as the bass singer in the legendary Motown group the Four Tops spanned 50 years, died Friday in Detroit.

Some obituaries can be found here and here. Benson, whose real first name was Renaldo, was apparently the member of the group who kept everyone smiling. Less known is the fact that he wrote the lyrics to Marvin Gaye's classic song "What's Goin' On." According to The New York Times:

One afternoon in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, he was sitting with a friend, enjoying the street life. He was stunned when police descended on a crowd of hippies, pummeling them for no apparent reason, Mr. Benson recalled in an interview last year.

Returning to Detroit, Mr. Benson wrote the lyrics for what became the protest song "What's Goin' On." Knowing the tune did not fit the Tops' upbeat style, he offered it to Marvin Gaye, who embraced it despite the initial objections of [Motown mogul Berry] Gordy, who doubted the tune would sell, Mr. Benson said.

I was privileged to catch the Tops' last television performance with Benson in ther lineup, a few months ago. Who had them on? Letterman, of course. They rumbled through "Reach Out (I'll Be There)," my favorite Tops number, and although it wasn't as polished as when they first performed it nearly 40 years ago, it was every bit as exciting as an old Ed Sullivan show from their heyday. Everybody loved it.

And I doubt that anybody loved it more than Obie did.

See you on the other side, Mr. Bass Man.