Frankie Beverly, iconic soul singer and Maze frontman, dead at 77
Soul legend Frankie Beverly, best known as the lead singer of the R&B group Maze, has died aged 77.
At this stage, no cause of death has been revealed but his passing has been confirmed by Beverly’s family in a statement. Maze have been active from 1970 up until the present day, and the soul sensation only played his final show with the outfit earlier this year.
In a message issued on social media on September 11th, Beverly’s family shared: “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.”
They also explained they are currently going through a period of “healing” and requested that his fans show “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.”
Reflecting upon his legacy and their plans to keep it alive, they added, “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.”
While Maze technically formed in 1970, it wasn’t until they hit the road with Marvin Gaye in 1976 that their career truly started to take off when he suggested they change their name from Raw Soul to Maze.
Upon releasing their debut album, 1977’s Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly, the group began to establish themselves in both America and the United Kingdom. It would also be the first of seven studio albums by Maze to be recognised as Gold in the United States. The 1996 compilation album, Anthology, and 1981 live album, Live In New Orleans, would also achieve this landmark.
Their last studio album, Back To Basics, was released in 1993, but Maze continued to play a handful of live dates each year to celebrate their back catalogue with their adoring fans.
Earlier this year, Beverly commenced upon a farewell tour which saw the vocalist play five dates across the United States. The tour began in Atlanta before making stops in Alabama, Chicago, and Houston before he made his final headline appearance in Los Angeles on May 22nd.
Upon announcing the retirement tour, Beverly said to Billboard: “I want to share with my lifelong fans and associates that I’ll be going out on the road one last time, then retire. Thank you so much for the support given to me for over 50 years as I pass on the lead vocalist torch to Tony Lindsay. The band will continue on as Maze Honoring Frankie Beverly. It’s been a great ride through the decades. Let the music of my legacy continue.”
Although the farewell tour concluded in May, Beverly did participate in a series of shows at festivals across the summer months with his final concert taking place at San Jose Summer Fest on August 11th.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.