“Every time you put on one of his songs, it reminds you of fun-filled family reunion where you see your all your aunts and uncles two step to the smooth grooves.”
That’s how some people describe what it feels like when they listen to the legendary MAZE featuring Frankie Beverly songs.
Since Frankie Beverly and his band’s debut in 1977, their music has been the soundtrack to Black joy for generations of Black people for 50 years and counting. Bliss-filled hits like like “Joy and Pain,” “Golden Time of Day,” “Happy Feeling,” and “Can’t Get Over You” have long been the soundtrack to our summer barbeques, family reunions, Sunday morning clean-ups and weekday morning commutes. When you play a Frankie Beverly record, your soul smiles.
That feeling has translated into a live, in-person party over the decades when you see Frankie Beverly in person. Usually, you would see a crowd of grown folks, dressed in all white to honor Frankie’s favorite color, and most of the time singing word-for-word every song back to back to back. It’s a beautiful sight to see.
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Now, that live music era has come to end as Frankie has hung up his microphone performing his last live performance in his hometown of Philadelphia. Fresh off the tribute to him at the 2024 Essence Festival in New Orleans, Frankie was in his hometown to share his voice a final time on stage.
Radio Hall-of-Famer and former host of BET’s long-running show, Video Soul, Donnie Simpson was there and shared his admiration for his friend.
“I went to Frankie Beverly’s final concert ever last night in Philly,” posts Mr. Simpson on Instagram. “What a night. Frankie is like a brother to me and I’ve seen him all around the world, but never in his hometown. I needed to feel the Love they have for him and the Love he has for them. It was so special, but I still can’t believe there will be no more.”
“The Whispers opened for him and Eagles QB, Jalen Hurt, came out to show his appreciation and respect. It was my first time meeting him and he is one cool young brother. New friends and old friends made for a memorable night.”
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“Thank you Philly for sharing your native son with us. It was great to see how proud you are of him and you should be. He touched the world and made it better.”
“I Wanna Thank You Frankie. I Love you my brother.”
Where Did Frankie Beverly Come From?
Born Howard Beverly, the 77-year-old Beverly started out singing gospel music in church as a schoolboy in Philadelphia. As time went on he formed and sang with a number of groups. When he was in his early 20’s, his group at the time, Frankie Beverly & The Butlers, went through a reorganization period and formed a new group known as Raw Soul.
It was during this time in 1970 that the “Philly Soul” sound was really starting to get noticed. It was Motown-influenced acts such as The Delfonics and The Stylistics and writers and producers such as future Hall of Famers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff climbing Billboard’s R&B charts. Unfortunately, for the young “Frankie” Beverly, the City of Brotherly Love wasn’t showing much affection to his band, the very raw Raw Soul. Having recorded some independently produced singles that went nowhere, Beverly boldly decided to pack up the band and head to the then-freewheeling San Francisco. Raw Soul thrived in the multicultural Bay Area.
Music lover Michael Burton first encountered the band in the East Bay, at a 1973 Contra Costa College performance. At the time, the band’s lineup was Beverly, drummer Joe Provost, bassist Robin Duhe, guitarist Wuane Thomas, and percussionists McKinley “Bug” Williams and Roame Lowry. “It was a mixed crowd: black, white, and some Spanish,” Burton recalled of the audience. “Frankie played all his own music. He could either sing Top 40 or stay Raw Soul, and he chose to sing Frankie Beverly. He didn’t veer from his commitment.”
The group also caught the attention of a sister-in-law to Marvin Gaye. Gaye began featuring them as an opening act at his shows. It was also Marvin Gaye who convinced Beverly to change the band’s name to Maze.
“For the next [few] months, we kicked names in the butt,” Burton said. “We go back to Marvin and say, ‘How about Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly’? We did a name check and found out there was a band already called Maze. Marvin said, ‘Don’t worry about it, we’ll take care of that.’ From my understanding, we bought the name. It’s been Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly ever since.”
Maze’s touring success boggles the mind. The band hasn’t had a studio album to promote since 1993, but they sing and play to sold-out shows in city after city, year after year.
“The way this is working is just mind-boggling in what has happened to me,” Beverly shared when asked about Maze’s longevity. “It’s a good thing too because I was raised to be humbled by my gifts and all. From parents, to good people around me, so I understand it from that point that it’s not me up there, that’s a blessing.”
Frankie Beverly’s Favorite Songs Are…
“‘Happy Feelings’ and ‘We Are One’ really define who MAZE is. ‘We Are One’ describes how we really feel in our heart as a group and as a family.”
The Secret Sauce to Frankie Being Around So Long
“I thought we were good enough to make music, but never did we think it would be like this. We thank God for all of this.”
“Longevity is a gift. I think I was called to do this. This isn’t something that I myself can do. I think I was in a position where God placed this gift in my lap. I can write and I do have talent, but the thing that keeps our music relevant–that’s all God.”
“I try to stay out of messes and stay healthy. I really do take pride in what I’ve been given and do the best I can in that.”
For all of their cultural impact, gold-certified records, and Billboard chart-topping hits, Frankie Beverly was never honored by any of the major music institutions such as the Recording Academy (Grammy Award) or the American Music Awards.
In 2024, however, Frankie Beverly was honored by the NAACP with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 55th NAACP Image Awards.
We give Frankie his flowers now, too. Well done Frankie. Well done MAZE. We love you.
