Final Member of the Four Tops, Abdul ‘Duke’ Fakir, Dead at 88

(BrightPress.org) – Abdul “Duke” Fakir, the last surviving original of the legendary Four Tops, has died at 88. Known for iconic hits like “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” and “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” Fakir died July 22nd from heart failure at his Detroit home, surrounded by his wife and loved ones.

Fakir was praised by Motown founder Berry Gordy, saying he epitomized the group’s “showmanship, class, and artistry.” Fakir’s smooth, suave first tenor kept the Four Tops’ legacy alive for 70 years.

The Four Tops, a standout act in the Motown era, peaked in the 1960s with hits like “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” and “Baby I Need Your Loving.” Their songs, often about romantic pain and longing, resonated with many. Other notable tracks include “Bernadette” and “Just Ask the Lonely.”

Formed in Detroit in the 1950s, Fakir, Levi Stubbs, Lawrence Payton, and Renaldo “Obie” Benson initially went by “Four Aims”. They became the Four Tops to put a stop to confusion with another group. Before signing with Motown in 1963, they recorded for several labels, including Chess Records, but found little success. A&R man Mickey Stevenson and Gordy put them together with the team of Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Brian Holland to write their songs. This collaboration led to their breakthrough.

After the Holland-Dozier-Holland team left Motown in 1967, the Four Tops’ success became more sporadic. Hits like “Still Water (Love)” and “Keeper of the Castle” followed in the 1970s. Their last top 20 hit came in the early 1980s with “When She Was My Girl.” The group remained a popular concert act, often touring with the Temptations. While other Motown groups faced internal strife, the Four Tops stayed united until Payton’s death in 1997. Benson died in 2005 and Stubbs in 2008.

The Four Tops received numerous honors, including induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009. Fakir’s memoir “I’ll Be There” was published in 2022, and he was working on a Broadway musical about the group’s life.