Photo by Todd Luck
The Motown Sounds of Touch perform the Four Tops classic, "I Can't Help Myself at the Dixie Classic Fair on Tuesday.
Motown Sounds of
Touch electrifies
Dixie Classic Fair
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
\
The Motown Sounds of Touch dazzled
attendees at the Dixie Classic Fair on
Tuesday night.
The Motown tribute group from
Dayton, Ohio, has been entertaining audi
ences around the country for the last 20
years. The band currently consists of
Arthur "Hakim" Stokes, Anthony "Plum"
Brown, Xonerale Freeman and Floyd
Weatherspoon, who perform with a six
piece backup band, The Untouchables.
Stokes said that the band is continuing a
proud musical tradition in Dayton that
spawned groups like the Ohio Players,
Lakeside, Zapp, Heatwave and Platypus.
"The city has always been about
groups and putting groups together." he
said.
Sounds of Touch got nationwide expo
sure in 2013 when it was a top three final
ist in the NBC show "The Winner Is." The
show pitted six musical acts against each
other and let 101 voters decide who made
it to the next round, with the winner taking
home $1 million. The finale in which the
group performed the Temptations classic.
"Ain't Too Proud to Beg," had more than
5 million viewers.
Though Sounds of Touch didn't win.
Stokes said they were honored to be cho
sen to perform on the show out of the
thousands of acts that were considered.
"It was a blessed opportunity," he said.
Sounds of Touch boasts an impressive
history, as Stokes and Weatherspoon have
written songs for The Jackson Five and
Michael Jackson. The group has opened
for the likes of Ray Charles, Rick
Springfield, The Temptations and A1
Green.
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Sounds of Touch performed at the
2014 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame induc
tion for Ken Griffey Jr. Dave Packer and
Ron Oester and during the 2015
Congressional Black Caucus Week in
Washington, DC. Though no stranger to
county fairs, Tuesday was the group's first
time performing at the Dixie Classic Fair,
where they were well-received by atten
dees.
Stokes said that it's the love of singing
and entertaining the audience that keeps
the group going.
"It's fun, we enjoy it," he said.
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