Soul Legend Frankie Beverly Dead at 77

Philadelphia has lost one of their greatest musical pioneers. Frankie Beverly, an innovator of funk and soul, has died at the age of 77. His family made the announcement in a social media post. Beverly recently completed what he coined as his farewell tour, with his final stop in his hometown on July 6. In a post to both his official Facebook and Instagram accounts, the family noted: “Grieving the loss of a loved one is a deeply personal and emotional experience. This period 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.”

Beverly began his musical journey by singing in church. He was part of several R&B and doo-wop groups throughout the 1960s before reinventing himself and his sound and founding Raw Soul, later renamed Maze ft. Frankie Beverly, in 1970. Beverly provided the vocals to the instruments. Their first major tour was as the opening act in 1971 with Motown staple Marvin Gaye, per NPR.

The group had several hits, including “Happy Feelin’s,” “Golden Time of Day,” “Joy & Pain,” and “We Are One.” Their biggest hit, “Before I Let Go,” was released in 1981, and is considered to be the unofficial Black national anthem. Despite their recorded hits, live on stage is where they thrived.

“That is unquestionably the favorite part of this whole thing to me. I think there’s not a doubt that whatever we do and whatever people like about us — I think mostly they like what they see live,” Beverly told NPR in 2005. “When you’re cookin’, it starts cookin’. It doesn’t matter how many people is in the room. It’s just a special thing. It’s probably the most powerful form of art.”

Beverly had had a number of health issues, including cancer in the throat, causing brief hiatuses from performing. But, he always returned to the stage.