Frankie Beverlylong known as the frontman of the soul and funk band Mazedied according to a statement released by the family. Beverly began his career as a teenager before eventually refining his sound that later became one of the foundations of modern R&B.
Beverly He was born December 6, 1946, in Philadelphia, Pa., and lived in the East Germantown section. Beverley began singing in church and joined his first band at the age of 13. At 16, much to the chagrin of his father who wanted him to follow a more traditional route, Beverly formed an acapella group known as The Blenders. While still trying to find his signature sound, Beverly formed a new band known as The Butlers, who cut their first record in 1963.
In 1970, determined to make it in music, Beverly formed the band Raw Soul and moved west to San Francisco to pursue a career in the industry. A chance meeting with Marvin Gaye's sister-in-law at the time led to a fruitful connection that led to opportunities for the band. The band toured with Gaye as the opening act, and according to several accounts, the legendary R&B star urged Beverly to change the band's name from Raw Soup to Maze.
In the late 1970s and mid-1980s, Maze scored several hits that entered Billboard's Hot 100 and the US R&B charts, including “Joy & Pain,” “Southern Girl,” “Back In Stride” and the backyard two-step classic “Before I Let Go” covered in 2019 by Beyoncé.
In the world of Hip-Hop, Maze has been sampled by some of the genre's notables including 50 Cent, TI, Tha Dogg Pound, Rob Base & DJ EZ-Rock, 2Pac and more. Maze was also a huge tour, which featured Beverly in his signature all-white outfit with a white baseball cap.
The Beverly family's statement was shared on Instagram and reads:
Grieving the loss of a loved one is a deeply personal and emotional experience. During this time, as we go through feelings of grief, reflection and remembrance, we kindly ask for privacy and understanding, allowing us the space to grieve in our own way. This is a time 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 a 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 for all of us.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, Beverly's fans expressed their grief and celebrated the singer's life and legacy. We have those reactions below.
Beverly was 77.
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Photo: Brian Stukes/Getty
