The Four Tops: Last original member Abdul 'Duke' Fakir dies, aged 88
23 July 2024, 10:36
Abdul 'Duke' Fakir had been the last surviving member of The Four Tops.
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Abdul 'Duke' Fakir, the last original member of The Four Tops, has died at the age of 88.
A family spokesperson confirmed that Duke had died yesterday (July 22) of heart failure at his family home in Detroit.
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"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," the statement read.
"As the last living founding member of the iconic The Four Tops music group, we find solace in Duke’s legacy living on through his music for generations to come."
Fakir had lived in Palmer Park with his second wife. He had seven children and 13 grandchildren.
Abdul 'Duke' Fakir founded The Four Tops – originally called The Four Aims – alongside fellow original members Levi Stubbs, Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton.
They stayed together from 1953 all the way to 1997 without a change in line-up, when Payton passed away.
The Four Tops were best known for their run of hits on the Motown label, with their songs written and produced by the classic Holland–Dozier–Holland team.
Four Tops "Reach Out I'll Be There" on The Ed Sullivan Show
Their 1960s classics included 'Reach Out I'll Be There', 'Baby I Need Your Loving' and 'I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)'.
Even after their heyday, they continued to score major hits, including the massive 'Ain't No Woman'.
They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
The Four Tops - Aint No Woman Like the One Ive Got
After Payton's death in 1997, Benson passed away in 2005 and Stubbs died in 2008.
Duke Fakir retired only days ago, on July 20, and the current touring lineup of The Four Tops is made up of Michael Brock, Ronnie McNeir, Lawrence Payton Jr., Alexander Morris
Other former members have included Theo Peoples, from 1998 to 2010, and Harold 'Spike' Bonhart, from 2010 to 2018.
