Frankie Beverly, the soulful frontman of Maze, has died at 77

Frankie Beverly and Maze, the band he co-founded, have provided the soundtrack to generations of lives. 

Summer, a season that rarely passes without the sound of his soulful voice, is concluding on a rather sad note this morning, as fans around the world are learning that Frankie Beverly has died.

On Wednesday, September 11, the family of Maze’s co-founder and lead vocalist, born Howard Stanley Beverly, announced his death in a post on Instagram.

“Grieving the loss of a loved one is a deeply personal and emotional experience,” the statement began, noting his date of death as Tuesday, September 10, 2024. Beverly was 77 years old at the time of his death; he and Maze had just wrapped their farewell tour earlier this summer. 

“During this time, as we are navigating feelings of sorrow, reflection, and remembrance, we kindly ask for privacy and understanding, allowing us the space to grieve in our own way,” the statement continued. “This period for 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.”

His family added that Beverly “lived his life with pure soul as one would say, and for us, no one did it better. He lived for his music, family and friends.”

The statement concluded with a simple call to action: “Love one another as he would want that for us all.”

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Beverly was born and raised in Philadelphia, where his music career began as a teen in a doo-wop group called the Blenders. He changed his name to Frankie around the age of 12 after hearing Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers (the doo-wop act behind the hit single “Why Do Fools Fall in Love”), the Washington Post reports. According to the Philadelphia Tribune, after that group, Beverly went on to form The Butlers in 1963, the first group he recorded with. Eventually, The Butlers migrated to the West Coast, where they changed their name a handful of times more before finally arriving at Maze.

With Maze, Beverly recorded nine gold albums, toured for more than 50 years, and gave the world timeless classics like “Before I Let Go, “Joy and Pain,” and “Golden Time of Day.” Their music has become the soundtrack to many Black lives, played at summer cookouts, family reunions, graduation parties, wedding receptions, jazz festivals, and beyond. The color white has also become synonymous with Maze and Beverly, who wore it so often onstage that it became the official go-to color for fans attending their shows. As Maze fans around the world react to the news, many are noting how much of a staple Beverly’s voice was in Black households.

“The bard of the Black family reunion and the Black cookout. The voice of summer,” began a user’s tribute on Threads. “The one who called us together & reminded us that “we are one.” The one who let us know that we would reach that “Golden Time of Day” (“when you find who you are”). And just a beautiful artist and spirit. Rest in Paradise Frankie Beverly.”

Another user on Threads wrote, “His music takes me back to my childhood. Those moments are so nostalgic.”

“There is something about a Frankie Beverly song that brings me peace, comfort, and joy. This is like losing a relative. Rest in peace, Uncle Frankie! We Are One,” someone else wrote on Threads.

In a tribute post of his own, John Legend wrote, “What I love about being an artist is that our work leaves a legacy that outlives our time on this Earth. Frankie has given the world such joy. His music will live on. It will always be part of our culture, an essential part of the soundtrack of our celebrations, cookouts, and family reunions. May he rest well.”

Beverly’s family has not shared how the singer died, who he is survived by (as he was very private), or any immediate plans for a public memorial.

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