Maze singer Frankie Beverly dies

By Chevel Johnson Rodrigue and Jamie Stengle | Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS — Frankie Beverly, who with his band Maze inspired generations of fans with his smooth, soulful voice and unforgettable anthems like “Before I Let Go,” has died. He was 77.

His family said in a post on the band’s website and social media that Beverly died Tuesday. In the post, which asked for privacy, the family said “he lived his life with a pure soul, as they say, and for us, no one did it better.” The post did not specify the cause of his death or where he died.

Beverly, whose songs include “Joy and Pain,” “Love is the Key” and “Southern Girl,” wrapped up her farewell “I Wanna Thank You Tour” in her hometown of Philadelphia in July. That same month, New Orleans’ Essence of Culture festival held a special tribute to Beverly and Maze, who closed the event for its first 15 years. Her performances at the festival — the nation’s largest annual celebration of black culture — turned the crowd into a sea of ​​dancing fans, many wearing white attire like Beverly himself often wore.

“Frankie Beverly’s art is not just about sound; it is the thread that connects our collective memories and moments of joy,” festival organizers said in a statement. “His melodies will forever resonate in our hearts and continue to inspire us.”

Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League and a former mayor of New Orleans, said Maze’s 1981 album, “Live In New Orleans,” strengthened the city’s ties with Beverly. Morial said he always sat in the front row for Maze’s closing show at the festival and remembers turning around and seeing a crowd “as happy as a choir” singing along to every lyric with Beverly.

“His music was full of emotion. It touched on positive themes like love, happiness, family and unity,” Morial said. “It was electric and magical, and that’s what made us fall in love with him.”

Beverly’s songs have become a staple of Black community celebrations. The band’s 1981 song “Before I Let Go,” covered by Beyoncé, can be heard everywhere from clubs to barbecues and is sure to get people moving.

“When the song starts, it’s time to dance,” said Hakeem Holmes, vice president of Essence Festival.

He said the band’s music brings such comfort and joy that it has a “therapeutic aspect.” And, he added, songs like “We Are One” bring people together because everyone is singing along.

In an interview published this summer in Essence magazine, Beverly called music “the love of his life.” He said in the interview that he wasn’t sure why his music appealed to all ages, but that he believed “God made a way for my music to reach every generation.”

Howard Stanley Beverly, born December 6, 1946 in Philadelphia, was so fascinated by the 1950s R&B group Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers that he changed his name to Frankie.

Maze started out in Philadelphia in the early 1970s as Raw Soul before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area. It was Marvin Gaye who convinced him to change the group’s name to Maze and, in 1977, helped them release their debut album, “Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly.”

On the title track of his 1989 album “Silky Soul,” Beverly paid tribute to Gaye, remembering the singer who thrived on the romantic soul and protest songs for which Maze was also known.

“That kind of faith, we talk about the hippie generation of the ’60s,” Beverly told The Associated Press in 1990. “It’s missing and I feel bad about it personally. We grew up in the ’60s, we’re former hippies.”