Duke Fakir Dies: Original Four Tops Member was 88

Original Four Top member and Motown legend Duke Fakir backstage at Motown The Musical in October 2016. (Credit: YouTube/Motown The Musical)

Abdul “Duke” Fakir, the last surviving member of legendary Motown group the Four Tops, died Monday at his home in Detroit from heart failure. He was 88.

“Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of a trailblazer, icon, and music legend,” Fakir’s family told the Detroit Free Press.

Fakir’s journey began in Detroit, where he, along with friends Levi Stubbs, Lawrence Payton, and Renaldo “Obie” Benson, formed the Four Aims in 1953. The group was renamed the Four Tops in 1956 to avoid confusion with the Ames Brothers.

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The Four Tops (Credit: Shutterstock)
The Four Tops (Credit: Shutterstock)

After signing with Motown in 1963, the Four Tops reached stardom with their album, Breaking Through. Their first hit, “Baby I Need Your Loving,” marked the start of a series of chart-topping successes.

Berry Gordy founder of the Motown record label, expressed his admiration of Fakir and the group in comments Monday to the Detroit Free Press, saying: “The [Four Tops] always amazed me with their showmanship, class, and artistry.”

“For 70 years, he preserved the Four Tops’ incredible legacy, and throughout all those years, he never missed a performance until very recently,” Gordy continued. “I am deeply grateful for all he did for the Four Tops, for Motown, and for me.”

The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, and they have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2009, they were listed among Rolling Stone‘s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

In recent years, Fakir remained active, working on a musical about the Four Tops and publishing his memoir, “I’ll Be There: My Life With the Four Tops,” in 2022.

He visited the set of Motown the Musical in the UK in October 2016, and reflected on the group’s music.

“My favorite Four Tops song is ‘Baby I Need Your Loving,’ the very first hit we had. It was so life-changing,” he said.

Fakir described his experience with Motown as joining “another family,” and hoped the musical would convey the vision and effort that transformed their modest beginnings in Detroit into global fame.

He is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.


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About Maria Leal

Maria Leal is a bilingual, multi-media journalist based in Los Angeles. She can be reached on Twitter @MariaLealNews.