Four Tops singer sues hospital after being mistaken for mentally ill patient

(From left): Roquel Payton, Alexander Morris and Ronnie McNeir of the Four Tops perform at the All In Music & Arts Festival in Indianapolis on September 3, 2022. Photo / AP

The lead singer of the Four Tops said a Detroit-area hospital restrained him and ordered a psychological exam after refusing to believe he was part of the Motown music group.

Alexander Morris, who is black, filed a lawsuit Monday against Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital in Warren alleging racial discrimination and other misconduct during an April 2023 visit for chest pain and breathing problems.

Hospital staff “wrongfully assumed he was mentally ill when he revealed his identity as a celebrity figure”, the lawsuit says.

The Four Tops started in the 1950s and had hits such as I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) and It’s The Same Old Song. The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.

Morris is not an original member, but he joined the group in 2019.

The lawsuit says a nurse finally became convinced Morris was in the Four Tops and the psychological exam was cancelled.

The hospital offered a $25 gift card as an apology, but Morris refused to accept it, the lawsuit says.

“We remain committed to honouring human dignity and acting with integrity and compassion for all persons and the community,” the hospital said in response to the lawsuit. “We do not condone racial discrimination of any kind. We will not comment on pending litigation.”

Morris talked publicly about the incident last year, saying he had returned to Detroit, his hometown, and was “being told that I’m insane or schizophrenic”.