Frankie Beverly, long known as the frontman for the soul and funk band
Maze, has died according to a statement released by the family. Beverly began his career as a teenager before eventually honing his sound which later became one of the foundations of modern R&B.
Beverly was born December 6, 1946, in Philadelphia, Pa., and lived in the East Germantown section. Beverly began singing in church and joined his first band at the age of 13. At 16, much to the dismay of his father who wanted him to take a more traditional route, Beverly formed an acapella group known as The Blenders. While still trying to find his signature sound, Beverly formed a new band known as The Butlers, who cut their first record in 1963.
In 1970, determined to make it in music, Beverly formed the band Raw Soul and moved west to San Francisco to pursue a career in the industry. A chance meeting with the sister-in-law of Marvin Gaye at the time led to a fruitful connection leading to opportunities for the band. The group toured with Gaye as his opening act and according to several accounts, the legendary R&B star urged Beverly to change the band’s name from Raw Soup to Maze.
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Through the late 1970s and mid-1980s, Maze notched several hits that charted on Billboard’s Hot 100 and U.S. R&B charts, including “Joy & Pain,” “Southern Girl,” “Back In Stride” and the backyard two-step classic, “Before I Let Go” which was covered in 2019 by Beyoncé.
In the world of Hip-Hop, Maze has been sampled by a few notables of the genre including 50 Cent, T.I., Tha Dogg Pound, Rob Base & DJ EZ-Rock, 2Pac, and more. Maze was also a huge touring act, which featured Beverly in his signature all-white attire complete with a white baseball cap.
The statement from the Beverly family was shared on Instagram and reads as follows:
Grieving the loss of a loved one is a deeply personal and emotional experience. During this time, as we are navigating feelings of sorrow, reflection, and remembrance we kindly ask for privacy and understanding, allowing us the space to grieve in our own way. This period for is one of healing, and your respect for our need for solitude is appreciated as we honor the memory of our beloved Howard Stanley Beverly known to the world as Frankie Beverly.
He lived his life with pure soul as one would say, and for us, no one did it better. He lived for his music, family and friends.
Love one another as he would want that for us all.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, fans of Beverly expressed their sorrow and celebrated the life and legacy of the singer. We’ve got those reactions below.
Beverly was 77.
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Photo: Brian Stukes / Getty
