Source: Mike Cameron / Getty
Legendary soul singer Howard Stanley Beverly, better known as Frankie Beverly, has passed away at the age of 77. The
Philly native was best known for being the frontman of the legendary band Frankie Beverly & Maze.
It was the band’s official Instagram page that made the sad announcement, noting the immense grief they’re experiencing in this time of shared loss, asking only for love.
“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,” read the Instagram post. “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.”
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In the 1970s, Beverly’s big break came when he decided to leave his hometown of Philly for warmer climates in San Francisco. It was there that he met
Marvin Gaye and invited the entire group—then known as Raw Soul—to open for him on tour.
Gaye encouraged the group to change their name, and after signing with Capitol Records in the late 1970s, success was theirs for the taking. Their debut R&B album, entitled
Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, was stacked with classics like ‘Happy Feelin’s,’ ‘While I’m Alone’ and ‘Lady of Magic’ while hits like ‘Joy & Pain’ came later.
After stamping that as their first gold record, they ran through several albums before arguably releasing their biggest hit in Before I Let Go, which was released in 1981 as part of the
Live In New Orleans live album.
Over the course of about a decade, the band released ten albums, nine of which went gold. Still, much of the music is so timeless that more than 50 years later, Beverly embarked on his farewell tour,
I Wanna Thank You, earlier this year before officially hanging up his microphone.
See how sical media is praising the msucial legend below.
