Frankie Beverly the legendary singer and songwriter who founded the band maze passed away recently at the age of 77 his deep Soulful baritone voice brought life to Timeless R and B and Funk hits like back in stride too many games Before I Let Go and can't get over you the news of his passing was shared by his family through a post on social media but they have not revealed the cause of his death in their heartfelt message the family spoke about how much Frankie Beverly meant to them referring to him by his birth name Howard Stanley Beverly they asked that people respect their privacy during this difficult time while also expressing gratitude for the love and support they've received they said that Frankie lived with soul and passion adding for us no one did it better he lived for his music his family and his friends love one another as he would want that for all of us while may may not have been as widely known as some other bands from that era like Earth Wind and Fire or Parliament Funkadelic Frankie Beverly and Ma created a distinct style of music that left a lasting impact with their smooth Melodies and tight energetic rhythms the band became beloved by fans of Soul R&B and Funk Frankie's unique vocal style paired beautifully with his signature look on stage dressed all in white and often wearing a baseball cap which became a fan favorite during live performances Frankie Beverly was born Howard Stanley Beverly on December 6th 1946 in Philadelphia his Musical Journey started early with him singing gospel music in local churches in his neighborhood East Germantown by the age of 12 he had joined a vocal group called the Silhouettes and in his teams he formed a do group called The blenders when that group eventually parted ways Frankie started another band in 1963 called the Butlers later known as Frankie Beverly and the Butlers the group gained some attention and released a few singles such as if that's what you wanted the son's message and she tried to kiss all produced by local record labels in Philadelphia at one point Beverly caught the eye of Kenny Gamble a well-known songwriter and producer from Philadelphia gamble signed Frankie and the Butlers to his label but the group's musical style didn't quite fit the sound of Philadelphia sole music that gamble was developing which eventually LED Beverly to leave the label by 1971 Frankie Beverly and his group now called Ross Soul decided to move to San Francisco to seek new opportunities their big break came when Marvin Gay a legendary figure in the world of Soul music discovered them gay admired their sound and even invited Ross soul to open for his shows this connection helped them secure a recording contract with Capital Records it was also gay who suggested that they change their name to Maize and the rest as they say is history Ma's self-titled debut album was released in 1977 and featured some of the songs that would become Classics such as Happy Feeling s while I'm alone and Lady of magic over the years ma continued to release successful albums and in 1989 they moved to Warner Brothers records during that time they recorded another fan favorite silky Soul a heartfelt tribute to Marvin Gay even though their last studio album Back to Basics came out in 1993 the music of maze led by Frankie Beverly continued to influence many artists especially in hip-hop their song Joy and Pain was sampled by Rob Bas and DJ Z Rock in their 1988 hit of the same name Frankie and Ma continued to perform for many years with their most recent concert being a special one part of Frankie's retirement tour this final show took place in July at the Dell Music Center in his hometown of Philadelphia throughout his life Frankie Beverly's music touched the hearts of many his ability to blend smooth vocals with Soulful rhythms created a unique sound that fans will always remember he may be gone but his music his soul and his legacy will continue to live on in the hearts of all who loved him Frankie Beverly will forever be a symbol of passion talent and the power of music to bring people together his contributions to the world of Music especially R&B and Funk are lasting and will always be cherished