Lawrence Albert Payton Sr. (March 2, 1938 – June 20, 1997) was an American tenor, songwriter, vocal arranger, musician, and record producer for the popular Motown quartet, the Four Tops.

The four teenagers began singing in 1953 as The Four Aims but later changed their name to the Four Tops to avoid confusion with the Ames Brothers.

[1] With the help of Payton's songwriter cousin Billy Davis, the Aims signed to Chess Records in 1956.

"[3] The original Four Tops enjoyed continued success as a headline performance act and remained together for 43 years until Payton's death on June 20, 1997, from liver cancer[2] in Southfield, Michigan aged 59.

One of his sons, Lawrence Jr., nicknamed "Roquel", went on to sing with the Four Tops who continue to perform as of 2025, and still featuring original member Duke Fakir until his death in 2024.