In Memoriam : Frankie Beverly (1946 – 2024)

Frankie Beverly, the Legendary R&B singer, songwriter, and producer, has passed away. He was 77.

Passing details for Frankie Beverly

His family shared the news on Instagram.

According to the post, Beverly, whose real name is Howard Stanley Beverly, died on Tuesday, Sept. 10.

“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,” the post read.

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The statement did not reveal the circumstances of his death.

Music career

A Philadelphia native, Beverly got his start in music at a young age, performing as a soloist in church while growing up in the city’s East Germantown neighborhood. As a teen, he sang with an ensemble called “The Silhouettes” before forming his own doo-wop group, “The Blenders.”

He then formed the group “Raw Soul” with his Philly friends in 1970, which would eventually become known as “Frankie Beverly and Maze.” Beverly then moved to San Francisco where he worked with the legendary Marvin Gaye, according to Beverly’s website.

“The Motown master would take the group under his wing and it was Gaye who suggested the group change their name. Frankie Beverly and Maze was born,” the website read.

Beverly was the lead singer, songwriter, producer and founder of the band Frankie Beverly and Maze. The group is a staple in the Black community, famously known for the songs “Before I Let Go,” “Joy and Pain,” and “Happy Feelin’s”. It’s not a cookout, family reunion, a party, and for some, the electric slide, without a Frankie Beverly and Maze song. Beverly’s “Before I Let Go”, was covered by Beyoncé in 2019 in her live album “Homecoming.”

Before his passing, Beverly and his band just completed their “I Wanna Thank You Farewell Tour” earlier this summer.

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