Did Marvin Gaye discover Frankie Beverly? All about R&B soul singer's big break in music

Soul singer Frankie Beverly recently passed away on September 10, at the age of 77. The family announced the news of his demise and had further requested privacy in this mourning period. Meanwhile, it is worth knowing about the late singer and his journey throughout.

In 1970, the singer formed a band called Raw Soul which was later shifted from Philadelphia to San Francisco Bay Area. The band came across singer Marvin Gaye, who eventually suggested a name change to Maze. It was Gaye who took the band on his tour, letting them perform as an opening act. This further became a big break for Frankie Beverly and his band. The band went on to release their debut album Maze featuring Frankie Beverly in 1977.

Marvin Gaye had a great contribution to the band's success and the fame that Frankie Beverly also enjoyed. In September 1989, the band released an album titled Silky Soul, where they explained their journey and history which involved Gaye as well.

In March 2024, in an interview with The Roots for their YouTube channel, Frankie was asked about whether Gaye discovered them and if his presence changed the dynamics of the band. In response, Frankie revealed that Gaye was like a big brother to him at the time. He added:

"He was such a big brother to me, really helped us."

The host then asked him what was special about his band that grabbed Marvin Gaye's attention towards them. To this, the singer replied:

"We were a group of about five of us or something. We were young guys but we could sing, and he liked that."

Frankie explained that Gaye was a "good guy" and his presence changed a lot in the singer's life.

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Frankie Beverly and his band released nine Gold albums shortly after coming across Marvin Gaye

Frankie Beverly had previously spoken about the contribution that Marvin Gaye had in his life and in his band's success. He even paid a tribute to Gaye through his album Silky Soul. Maze went on to release nine Gold albums after they relocated to San Francisco from Philadelphia and met Gaye.

Beverly began with singing gospel music at a local church. Since the time that he met Gaye and began experiencing success, Frankie didn't have to look back. In March 2024, he even announced his retirement along with a farewell tour. His I Wanna Thank You Farewell Tour began in Atlanta on March 22, 2024 and was concluded in May in Los Angeles. He then told Billboard:

"I want to share with my lifelong fans and associates that I’ll be going out on the road one last time, then retire. 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."

Beverly also mentioned that he had a great journey with his band as well as his fans all this while. While talking to Billboard, Frankie Beverly further mentioned that he wanted his legacy to be carried forward.