
(NationalUSNews.com) — On Monday, July 22, Abdul Kareem “Duke” Fakir, one of the founding members of the legendary Motown group, the Four Tops, died at the age of 88 in his Detroit, Michigan home.
After bandmate Lawrence Payton died in 1997, the other three continued to tour under the name The Tops until Renaldo Benson’s death in 2005. Levi Stubbs, the group’s baritone lead singer, died in 2008, leaving Fakir the last man standing of the iconic band that brought music and joy to fans for over four decades.
Born on December 26, 1935, in Detroit, Michigan, Fakir showed a great love of music from an early age. As an accomplished athlete in High School, he and future bandmate Stubbs, would often lead their football teammates in sing-a-longs on the bus to away games. Later, they formed the band originally called The Four Aims, which they later renamed to The Four Tops to avoid confusion with another band with a similar sounding name.
The band rose to prominence during the Motown era that came out of Detroit and dominated the airwaves for years. Their classic songs “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” “Baby I Need Your Loving” and Ain’t No Woman (Like the One I’ve Got) are instantly recognizable to anyone to this day. The band earned many awards over the years, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
Fakir released his memoirs entitled “I’ll be There” in 2022. He described himself and his long-time bandmates as four gentlemen who were brought together “out of the clear blue sky”. For him, it was all about love, which he added the world needs more of. He said that they loved making music, loved working together and loved performing for their audiences. Fakir leaves behind his wife of nearly 50 years, Piper Fakir, as well as six adult children, thirteen grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.
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