Frankie Beverly
(born Howard Beverly, 6 December 1946, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a singer, founder, producer, and songwriter, known primarily for his recordings with the soul and funk unit, Maze.
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FRANKIE BEVERLY TICKETS
EVENT | DATE | AVAILABILITY |
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Frankie Beverly & Maze Tickets 5/12 | May 12, 2024 Sun, 7:00 PM | | Maze And Frankie Beverly Tickets 5/25 | May 25, 2024 Sat, 7:00 PM | | Frankie Beverly Tribute Tickets 6/9 | Jun 09, 2024 Sun, 7:00 PM | | Frankie Beverly Tickets 6/14 | Jun 14, 2024 Fri, 7:00 PM | | Frankie Beverly Tickets 6/22 | Jun 22, 2024 Sat, 8:00 PM | |
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Biography
Although Beverly's first name from birth was Howard, he was so impressed by the music of
Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers, that he decided to change his first name to Frankie at the age of nine.
Pre-Maze years
Frankie Beverly started out singing gospel music in church as a schoolboy in Philadelphia. He has claimed that his first professional gig was a tour with
The Silhouettes (famous for their 1958 hit
Get A Job) when he was only twelve years old, but this is disputed by those associated with the group, whose members were never known to mention him while they were alive.
[1]
As a teenager he formed
The Blenders, a short-lived
a cappella,
doo-wop group that were influenced by
The Dells,
The Moonglows, and
The Del Vikings. After that outfit dissolved, he founded The Butlers, which would be the first group he recorded with in 1963. As time passed, they caught the attention of the veteran producer
Kenny Gamble, who eventually released recordings by the group.
It turned out that music performed by The Butlers did not fit into the "Philly Sound", and after some heavy touring, the group relocated to
California. The unit was re-christened as Raw Soul and caught the attention of a sister-in-law to
Marvin Gaye. He was so enamored by the act, he had them as an opening act at his shows. Gaye also convinced Beverly to have the band's name changed to Maze.
Beverly's onstage attire (all-white casual clothing, including slacks, long-sleeved shirt, and a baseball cap) has become his signature dress style over the years.
References
- Frankie Beverly - A Silhouette?