Duke Fakir, the final surviving member of The Four Tops, has died aged 88.
Fakir passed away in his home in Detroit today (July 22) from heart failure, which his family confirmed to the Detroit Free Press.
In a statement shared with the paper, they wrote: “Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of a trailblazer, icon and music legend who, through his 70-year music career, touched the lives of so many as he continued to tour until the end of 2023, and officially retired this year,’ it began.
“As the last living founding member of the iconic Four Tops music group, we find solace in Duke’s legacy living on through his music for generations to come.”
Fakir was born in Detroit, Michigan on December 26, 1935. He rose to prominence as a member of the Motown group The Four Tops, which formed in 1953, initially as ‘The Four Aims’. After a few unsuccessful stints with labels, in 1963, a decade after initially forming following a performance at a neighbourhood party, they were signed to Motown by Berry Gordy Jr.
In a 2019 interview with NME, Fakir shared his experiences entering the public eye with Motown. “It was a totally different industry. Motown was breaking through and we wanted the public to know that were good people. It was helping civil rights a lot because our music was seeping into people’s houses which wouldn’t have it in there before,” he said.
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“We were showing people we were clean-cut, serious and professional. Motown wanted to make the impression of good strong Americans singing our type of music, so we were taught how to talk and dress well.”
Their 1967 album ‘The Four Tops Greatest Hits’ was the first Motown album to reach Number 1 on the UK charts, knocking The Beatles’ ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ off the top spot.
Among their biggest hits were ‘I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)’, Reach Out, I’ll Be There’ and ‘Standing In the Shadows of Love’. They sold over 50 million records worldwide.
The Four Tops also included Lawrence Payton, Obie Benson and Levi Stubbs. They all died of cancer between 1997 and 2008. In 2019, Fakir told NME that his former bandmates still played a big role in his life, decades after their deaths. “I can feel them saying ‘Hey thanks man for keeping the legacy going’. That’s how close we really were and it seems like we’re still close even after they’re gone,” he said.
The band left Motown in 1972 and chose to remain in their hometown of Detroit, despite the label and many of its artists relocating to Los Angeles. Their later years saw the release of hits like ‘Keeper of the Castle’ and ‘Ain’t No Woman (Like the One I Got)’.
The Four Tops were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
Fakir continued to perform until the end of 2023, before officially retiring this year.
Smokey Robinson is among those who have paid tribute to Fakir. “My brother, I really hate to have to say goodbye but you’ve been called home by the Father to once again join Lawrence, Obie and Levi and make more of the heavenly music you guys made while here. I’m gonna miss you, my brother,” he wrote.