Frankie Beverly, front man for the R&B soul and funk band Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly, died on Sept. 10. He was 77.
His family made the announcement on Sept. 11 on his official social media accounts.
“Grieving the loss of a loved one is a deeply personal and emotional experience,” the statement began. “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,” the family statement continued.
No cause of death was disclosed. Funeral arrangements are pending.
In March, Beverly received a lifetime achievement award at the NAACP Image Awards dinner. NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson said Beverly, along with New Edition, was “instrumental in shaping our cultural landscape with their remarkable talent and enduring influence.”
Beverly had embarked on a farewell tour from March to July, saying that Maze would continue performing with Tony Lindsay as lead vocalist in his place and that the band would be called “Maze Honoring Frankie Beverly” instead of “Maze featuring Frankie Beverly.”
“It’s been a great ride through the decades,” Beverly said. “Let the music of my legacy live on.”
That ride began in the 1970s after Beverly relocated from Philadelphia to San Francisco. He met Marvin Gaye, who invited Beverly and his band to open for him on tour. Gaye even suggested the band adopt the name “Maze” and it stuck, instead of the original “Raw Soul.”
Beverly and Maze took off from there, with nine gold albums and chart-topping hits such as “Back in Stride,” “Before I Let Go,” “Can’t Get Over You” and “Joy and Pain.”
Beverly was always easily recognizable on stage, clad in all white with a baseball cap. His audiences traditionally followed suit, wearing all white to his concerts.
The band was inducted into the Philadelphia Music Alliance’s Walk of Fame in 2008.
Born Howard Stanley Beverly, the iconic singer started out singing gospel music in church in his native Philadelphia. When he was in his early 20’s, his group at the time, “Frankie Beverly & The Butlers,” reorganized and formed a new group which became “Raw Soul.”
The band’s success over the years never seemed to go to his head.
“The way this is working is just mind-boggling in what has happened to me,” Beverly said. “It’s a good thing, too, because I was raised to be humbled by my gifts and all. From parents to good people around me, I understand it from that point that it’s not me up there — that’s a blessing.”
Beverly said the longevity of the seven-piece band surprised him.
“I thought we were good enough to make music, but never did we think it would be like this. We thank God for all of this,” he said. “Longevity is a gift. I think I was called to do this. This isn’t something that I myself can do. I think I was in a position where God placed this gift in my lap. I can write and I do have talent, but the thing that keeps our music relevant — that’s all God.”
