Frankie Beverly

American singer, musician, songwriter and producer Frank Beverly was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His interest in music started at an early age and he used to sing gospel in a local church as a boy. He formed his first a cappella group as a teenager but it quickly dissolved. After that, he founded The Butlers, the first group he recorded with, in 1963. After some heavy touring, the group relocated to California, changing its name to Raw Soul. It wasn't until Beverly met Marvin Gaye, however, that the group's name changed again, this time for good: now called The Maze, the group was an opening act for Gaye during the musician's tour. Their popularity overseas grew thanks to UK DJs and in 2019 their single "Before I Let Go" was cover by Beyoncé on her fifth album, "Homecoming: The Live Album" (2019), proving itself a timeless success. Frankie Beverly died on September 10, 2024 at the age of 77.