Thelma Stubbs Mitchell: Sister of Levi Stubbs of The Four Tops - A Legacy of Love, Faith and Music

Remembering a beautiful soul, phenomenal artist and woman whose greatest legacy was love

I woke on Thursday 13th August 2026 to the deeply sad news of the passing of a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful soul — Thelma Stubbs Mitchell of The Stubb Girls, sister of the legendary Levi Stubbs of The Four Tops and Joe Stubbs of The Falcons and The Contours.

For those who have kindly been sending me condolences, please send your love and condolences to Thelma's family. I write these words not as a family member, but as a personal tribute to a wonderful woman I had the privilege of knowing.

People like Thelma are rare.

She was authentic. She was warm. She was extraordinarily talented. But above everything else, she was full of love.

I first had the privilege of meeting Thelma many years ago in Detroit when I attended an awards ceremony hosted and organised by the late Brenda Wilson, daughter of the legendary Jackie Wilson, celebrating the lives and legacies of music legends.

I remember watching The Stubb Girls perform and being completely blown away. Thelma was a phenomenal singer.

Yet some of my strongest memories are not of the stage. Despite having so much to do herself, Thelma made it her mission to look after me during that trip. She drove me around at times to make sure I got where I needed to be. I also remember helping Thelma and Brenda prepare for the awards ceremony.

There was a spirit of togetherness and community around them — and a deep reservoir of love.

A Woman of Faith

Thelma was also a strong woman of faith, a woman of God.

What struck me was that her faith wasn't expressed through judgement. It was expressed through the way she lived and the way she treated people.

There was something Christlike about her essence — kindness, compassion, generosity and love.

You cannot fake love and integrity.

You can speak about them, but ultimately they are revealed in how you live and in how you make other people feel.

Thelma possessed those soul-reflective, diamond qualities.

My Conversations with Thelma Stubbs Mitchell: Sister of Levi Stubbs of The Four Tops - A Legacy of Love, Faith and Music

I was also privileged to interview Thelma several times through On the Sofa with Esther — as an individual, with The Stubb Girls, and during conversations connected with members of The Four Tops.

One of those conversations can be watched here:

Watch: On the Sofa with Esther — Thelma Stubbs Mitchellhttps://youtu.be/ZylvQLcKZfs?si=ApHphWMFc23q9KND

I am especially grateful now that these conversations exist. Interviews can become so much more than content. They become part of our cultural memory preserving the voices, stories, laughter, wisdom and personalities of people who have contributed to our lives and our history.

This is one of the reasons I remain so passionate about documenting legacy. This Is What Legacy Looks Like The Four Tops are one of the most iconic groups of our time, but music is so much more than lyrics and melodies.

Music is a God-given craft and gift to the world. For the artists who truly understand and embrace that gift, music becomes a conduit — something capable of reaching into people's lives, transforming them, comforting them and giving voice to emotions and experiences that sometimes cannot be expressed in any other way.

But legacy is also about what happens when the music stops.

It is about how you treated people.

How you made them feel.

The kindness you showed when nobody was watching.

The love you gave without asking what you would receive in return.

And this is what I will remember about Thelma.

Aside from the accolades, the musical heritage and the remarkable family history, Thelma Stubbs Mitchell was love. God's love.

Her essence was love. People like her are history makers, not simply because of the stages they graced or the music they created, but because something of them remains within the people whose lives they touched.

The world has lost a beautiful soul, and I feel incredibly privileged to have met and known someone whose love touched my own life.

May we all be inspired to step into our purpose.

To use our gifts.

To make a difference.

To love.

And ultimately, to leave a legacy.

Love you, Thelma.

Standing in the Shadows of Love by The Stubbs Girls https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou82c4HlVyM