Abdul “Duke” Fakir, the last surviving founding member of the iconic Motown group The Four Tops, has died at the age of 88. Fakir passed away from heart failure at his home in Detroit, his family confirmed on Monday.
With a career spanning over 70 years, Fakir left an indelible mark on the music industry. The Four Tops, formed in the late 1950s, are renowned for their timeless classics such as “Reach Out I’ll Be There,” “Baby I Need Your Loving,” and “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch).”
In a statement, Fakir’s family said, “Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of a trailblazer, icon, and music legend… 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’s journey with The Four Tops began in the late 1950s alongside Levi Stubbs, Renaldo “Obie” Benson, and Lawrence Payton. The group’s success soared in the early 1960s, and they continued to perform together until Payton’s death in 1997. Benson and Stubbs passed away in 2005 and 2008, respectively.
Stevie Wonder praised the group’s skills during their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, saying, “The things I love about them the most – they are very professional, they have fun with what they do, they are very loving, they have always been gentlemen.”
Fakir, born to Ethiopian and Bangladeshi immigrants, spent his entire life in Detroit. In a 2022 interview with The Detroit News, he reflected on the transformative power of music, saying, “[O]nce we started singing, our whole perspective of life changed… We just started looking at the beauty of life and travelling and being able to sing to the world and making people happy.”
Smokey Robinson, a longtime friend, paid tribute to Fakir, saying, “My brother, I really hate to have to say goodbye, but you’ve been called home by the Father to once again join Lawrence, Obie, and Levi and make more of the heavenly music you guys made while here… I’m going to miss you, my brother.”
Fakir is survived by his wife, six children, 13 grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. His memoir, “I’ll Be There: My Life With the Four Tops,” was released in 2022.
