Famous Motown group member Duke Fakir died on Monday, July 22, 2024, at age 88. Duke Fakir was among the founding members of the Motown quartet, the Four Tops. Before his death, Fakir was the last surviving original group member.
With his singing career beginning in 1953, Duke Fakir, who stayed active until his death, had a musical career spanning 71 years. The singer’s death was announced by a family spokesperson, who added that Duke Fakir died surrounded by his wife and loved ones. In honor of the musical icon, here’s more on Duke Fakir’s life, career, and death.
Duke Fakir’s Early Life
The late singer was born Abdul Kareem Fakir in Detroit, Michigan, on December 26, 1935. Duke Fakir’s father, who was from Bangladesh, worked as a factory worker. Fakir’s mother was African-American and of Ethiopian descent. Duke Fakir attended the prestigious Pershing High School in Detroit. Fakir was active as a young child, participating in his high school track team and playing football and basketball. Although he was an athletic child, Fakir had an interest and passion for singing. Fakir had long stated that his upbringing in Detroit, a city known for its churches and jazz music, had helped influence his decision to pursue a musical career.
Duke Fakir’s Musical Career
Duke Fakir and the late Levi Stubbs (an original founding member of the Four Tops) lived in the same neighborhood. Fakir’s interest in football led him to first meet Stubbs while playing football in the neighborhood. At the time, neither of them knew they were singers. Fakir and Stubbs grew closer after Fakir watched him perform at a variety show. While still playing football, they began looking for other singers/acts to form a group.
Fakir and Stubbs invited Lawrence Payton and Renaldo “Obie” Benson to join their upcoming band. When the group first performed, they went by the name “The Four Aims.” To avoid confusion with the already popular Ames Brothers (which was also a quartet), musical director Maurice King helped name the group Four Tops. Although they had local fame, it was after signing with the newly established Motown Records in 1963 that they found national and international success.
Lawrence Payton became the first member of the group to die, having died on June 20, 1997, at age 59. Renaldo “Obie” Benson died eight years later, on July 1, 2005, at age 69. Levi Stubbs died on October 17, 2008, at age 72. Duke Fakir received several accolades in his lifetime as a Four Tops member and as a personal honor. In 2009, as the then-only surviving member of the group, Duke Fakir received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Duke Fakir’s Personal Life
In the mid-1960s, Duke Fakir was linked with fellow Motown artist Mary Wilson, who was one of The Supremes. The affair was confirmed in 1964 when the couple were briefly engaged. However, with their musical careers still on the rise, they decided to break up. Fakir and Wilson remained friends until her death on February 8, 2021, at age 76.
Duke Fakir was twice married. His first marriage with Inez produced three children. Although it’s not public knowledge when they married, the couple divorced in 1959. Fakir’s second marriage was to Piper Gibson. His second marriage produced four children. Duke Fakir had seven children during his lifetime. However, he lost one of them before his death.
Duke Fakir’s Death
As the only surviving member of the Four Tops, Duke Fakir kept the group’s legacy by helping to assemble a touring version of the band. Fakir continued to perform with the group until less than a month before his death. According to his death announcement by his family’s spokesperson, Duke Fakir died of heart failure at his Detroit home. The singer had always considered Detroit home and lived in the Palmer Park section of Detroit with his second wife. Duke Fakir is survived by his wife, 6 children, 13 grandchildren, and 9 great-grandchildren.
In his tribute to the singer, Motown’s founder, Berry Gordy, stated, “I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Abdul ‘Duke’ Fakir … [the] first tenor — smooth, suave, and always sharp. … For 70 years, he kept the Four Tops’ remarkable legacy intact, and in all those years, he never missed a performance, until just recently. I so appreciate all he did for the Four Tops, for Motown, and for me.” As the music industry pays tribute to Duke Fakir, the movie industry also lost award-winning actor Donald Sutherland, who died at the same age of 88.
Follow Us
