Frankie Beverly, the lead singer of the soul and funk band, Maze, has passed away today at 77 years old.
Frankie Beverly was known for his smooth and soulful baritone. Some of Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly’s hit songs included “Before I Let Go,” “Joy and Pain,” “Golden Time of Day,” and “Happy Feelin’s.”
His transition was announced in a statement by his family on his Instagram account.
“He lived his life with pure soul, as one would say, and for us, no one did it better,” the statement said. “He lived for his music, family and friends.”
Beverly’s family did not state the cause of death or where he died.
Frankie Beverly also announced his farewell tour this year with a few dates and said he would retire after going on the road one last time.
“Thank you so much for the support given to me for over 50 years as I pass on the lead vocalist torch to Tony Lindsay,” Frankie Beverly stated.
Man. All I can say is, the barbecues in heaven, paradise, the astral realm, or whatever your religious or spiritual persuasion is, just got more lit, or lit-er, and even lit-er-er, if I may be grammatically incorrect for a moment.
I don’t know about other ethnicities, but at Black cookouts, holidays, weddings, family reunions, or any Black function, you can best believe, Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly is blasting through the speakers.
Your Uncle Ankie or Elroy is on the grill firing up some ribs, your Aunt Nadine or Shirleene is cleaning up in the kitchen and making peach cobbler and potato salad. But that Frankie Beverly is playing in the background.
Your lil’ cousins, nieces, nephews, children, grandchildren are all running around outside playing. Some are in the house playing and occasionally getting fussed at by the elders for “playing in the house.” But that good ol’ Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly is still soundtracking the background of these Black family vibes.
You. Yes you. Whoever you are, may be on the couch reminiscing with the latter mentioned relatives or other relatives about old times and funny childhood stories as you stuff your face with barbecue ribs, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and ahem, maybe even hog chitterlings, or “chit-lins” as they are commonly referred to.
You’re not just reminiscing. You’re also cracking jokes, dancing some, and catching up on life. One of your relatives might ask “So where you working at now? You still at that plant?” Or “Are you still in the service?” ” You still in school? What you majoring in?” Your aunts, uncles, parents, grandparents and any friend of the family might offer you some words of encouragement and well-wishes for career and relationship advice, or just warning the mischievous youngins to stay out of trouble. And your cousins and siblings might playfully roast each other.
Or heck, you reading this may be the uncle, auntie, parent, grandparent or great grandparent doing the lecturing and encouraging. If not, you may be one of the young adults who at some point at the function, has to take a walk down the street, away from your elders to smoke some weed and come back with red eyes and the munchies. But guess what. “Before I Let Go” is still playing in the background.
It may be some alcohol their or maybe not. You may even debate politics, race politics, and trending topics that I talk about here. Usually, you won’t find people who think like me or this page at the family function. Most of them watch CNN and MSNBC, and hate FOX News, thinking they are the only racists “news” (cough.. propaganda) channel. Most of these relatives talk up the Democratic Party and hate Republicans, thinking they are the only racist political (cough…they both are) party.
And if you think like me, they may good naturedly roast you for being the political oddball who’s into “that conspiracy mess” or “being on that woke, militant, Black stuff.” They may tell you to just vote, watch the news- CNN and MSNBC, to be exact, and not FOX News-… and well, just pray and attend church. As Bobby Hemmitt said, there is usually only one conscious person in the family.
Despite being the only conscious person, you still love their dead-thinking asses. Even as you sigh and shake your head in playful annoyance at their dead, Negro mindset. You love them for their cultural Blackness, despite their Negro political mindset. Part of the cultural Blackness is the very reason for this article.
So guess what else is still happening while all this is going on? Ha ha. Yeap. you guessed it. Some good ol’ Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly is playing in the background while all these good family vibes fill the air.
As I was giving that picture of the Black family function, you should’ve been hearing “Before I Let Go” playing in your head. Especially “Before I Let Go,” but even “Joy And Pain” (🎵 I say sunshyyyyyne….and pain.🎶) would be playing. Sorry about that yall. I couldn’t help myself and started singing it in my head.
Some of your young and semi-old, hood relatives might prefer some hardcore Hip-Hop music, or others may prefer some R&B slow jams. Heck, the matriarchal granny may start playing some gospel music at the end and say “I don’t wanna hear no more of that rap mess with all that cussing n’ shit.”
Even still, I don’t hear anyone protesting Frankie Beverly’s smooth vocals and music playing in the background in rotation of other genres for all ages and personality types.
Frankie Beverly’s music wasn’t too old-school for youngins, it wasn’t too cheesy and poppish for hard-core cynics, and it wasn’t too hardcore and edgy for your granny’s delicate ears. It was the perfect blend for all listeners, and simply put, his music just had a feel-good vibe to it.
The heaven realm was probably already playing some Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly, but now they have him there present to make new music. Rise In Power Frankie Beverly. Salute.
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