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It’s about time. Frankie Beverly is one of the hardest working men in show business and has been for the past four decades. His hard work and contributions to music will be honored next month at the 12th Annual BET Awards, where he will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. The Philadelphia native found some limited success in his native city, but didn’t quite fit the polished Philly soul sound of the 70’s. After moving to California, Beverly and his group, then called Raw Soul, caught the attention of Marvin Gaye, who put took them on tour and renamed them.

Maze established its reputation over the years with their energetic state performances. Their 1980 hit “Before I Let Go” from their album “Live in New Orleans” has proven to be one of soul music’s most enduring records, allowing the group to continue to tour without radio support or new recordings. Up until this year, Maze was the annual closing act of the Essence Music Festival, which takes place every July 4th  weekend in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 2009, a group of contemporary artists including Musiq, Mary J. Blige, Mint Condition and Ledisi, performed Maze’s songs for the compilation CD “Silky Soul Music: An All Star Tribute to Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly.”

BET has not announced just who will pay tribute to the iconic group. Performers already announced include G.O.O.D. Music, Chris Brown, Nikki Minaj, and D’Angelo, who is performing on TV for the first time in 12 years. The BET Awards are given out live from L.A. on July 1 at 8 p.m.