Abdul ‘Duke¡ Fakir,founding member of the group The Four Tops,the standard bearer of what was called the mythical sound Motown,has died in the city of Detroit (Michigan) at age 88, local media reported.
Fakir died on Monday in Detroit of heart failure, surrounded by his wife Piper and their loved ones, according to a statement provided by a family spokesperson, as reported by CNN.
“Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of a pioneer, icon and music legend who, through his 70-year music career, touched the lives of so many while continuing to tour through the end of 2023, officially retiring this year,” his family’s statement read.
“As the last living founding member of the iconic musical group The Four Tops, we find solace in that ‘Duke’s’ legacy lives on through his music for generations to come,” the note added.
Fakir was the last surviving original member of the quartet, known for songs like ‘I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)’ and ‘Reach Out I’ll Be There’. The group entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
He formed the quartet that became the Four Tops with his friends Levi Stubbs, Renaldo ‘Obie’ Benson and Lawrence Payton when they were students at the Pershing High School from Detroit in 1953, recalls RollingStone magazine.
The original Four Tops lineup remained together until 1997, when Payton died of liver cancer. Following the deaths of Benson in 2005 and Stubbs in 2008, the responsibility of keeping the group’s name alive fell to ‘Duke’, the outlet notes.
Born in Detroit, already in high school, Fakir began playing music with future members of the band Four Tops and in 1954, they formed the first group in Detroit called Four Aims,according to a biography of the group at the Motown Museum and cited by CNN.