Frankie Beverly dies at the age of 77

R&B legend Frankie Beverly, founder and longtime leader of soul institution Maze, has died. In a social media statement, Beverly's family announced that he passed away yesterday. The cause of death was not disclosed. Beverly was 77 years old.

Frankie Beverly was born Howard Stanley Beverly in Philadelphia and began singing in church as a child. As a teenager in the 1960s, Beverly formed two doo-wop groups, the Blenders and the Butlers. Frankie Beverly And The Butlers eventually worked with Philly soul legend Kenny Gamble and their 1967 single “If That's What You Wanted” became an iconic song of the British Northern Soul scene.

Frankie Beverly And The Butlers eventually evolved into a group called Raw Soul, which moved from Philadelphia to San Francisco in the early 1970s. There, Marvin Gaye recruited Raw Soul as an opening act and convinced Beverly to change the band's name to Maze. The newly christened band Maze – often billed as Frankie Beverly & Maze or Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly – remained a staple in black America for decades. Maze toured for a time in the mid-1970s as the opening act for Marvin Gaye, which led to a deal with Capitol. They released their debut album Maze with Frankie Beverly in 1977. It was certified gold, as were eight other Maze LPs.

Maze's sound was a lush, exuberant take on soul-funk and struck an instant chord. The group's debut single, “While I'm Alone,” peaked at No. 89 on the Hot 100 but fared much better on the R&B charts, which became a regular occurrence for the group. During their 17-year chart run, Maze released a total of four Hot 100 hits, none of which made the top half of the chart, but they were perennial favorites on R&B radio. The group's silky sound never caught on with white pop audiences, but they became something like the Black Grateful Dead, and their live shows were always great community events. Beverly, gleefully growling in all-white designer sweatpants, was a bona fide all-star at events like Essence Fest.

Maze's lineup changed over the years, but its core sound did not. Maze's records almost always went gold, but never platinum, and the group was the flame of smooth and celebratory R&B. Tracks like “Before I Let Go” and “Joy And Pain” became popular touchpoints. Beyoncé released a cover of “Before I Let Go” in 2019, and artists like 2Pac, 50 Cent, and Daft Punk have used Maze samples heavily. The band's 1985 single “Back In Stride” reached No. 1 on the R&B charts, and they returned to that spot in 1989 with “Can't Get Over You.”

Maze still had R&B hits in 1993 when they Back to basicstheir last studio LP. This too was certified gold. Maze continued to tour even after their recording career ended, playing at the San Jose Jazz Summer Fest just last month. Beverly always seemed ageless and his loss is a truly sad surprise. Check out some of his work below.