Four Tops Musical Leader Rountree Dies at 61

[Neumann Sennheiser]

A key behind-the-scenes associate of the famed Motown quartet the Four Tops has died.
George Rountree, who worked as the group's musical director for more than 30 years, died Sunday in a Las Vegas hospital. He was 61.

Rountree, known simply as Tree, also performed other roles for the group, including arranger, composer and keyboardist.

A Detroit native, he performed with some of the music industry's biggest stars, including the Temptations, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Mary Wilson, Martha Reeves, Frankie Valli, Bill Withers, Freda Payne and David Ruffin.

[jon]

From earlier this year:

Our long time friend George (aka Tree) Rountree, conductor of The Four Tops for the last 33 years is in need of your prayers and financial support. Tree recently went to Illinois for a routine Four Tops and Temptations concert date. By the time he arrived, he went into extreme kidney failure; he was taken to a local hospital ICU in Moline, Illinois. It is reported that his condition is extremely critical. As most of you know, Tree has under gone two kidney transplants.

Doctors are trying everything to keep him from going into a coma state.

Recent economic times have brought a lot of financial short comings for George and his wife Beverly.

A day later came this update:

George “Tree” Rountree News Update (as of 5-7-11 11am PST)...According to my sources, Tree's condition has been stabilized. Doctors still don't know why his kidneys failed and are working relentlessly to find the answer. I will keep you posted with any new information regarding his condition. Thank you for your support, prayers and contributions.

ref. - http://soulfuldetroit.com/showthread.ph ... ically-Ill