We lost so much heritage Black People Magic this week.
Frankie Beverly, the iconic lead singer and songwriter of Maze, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 77. The songs from his group’s 9 gold albums have provided the soundtrack to summer cookouts, family reunions, and amazing concerts for more than 5 decades. Family and friends said, “He lived his life with pure soul, and for us, no one did it better… he lived for his music, family and friends.” So many artists have referenced Frankie's music as inspiration or sampled from his playbook of melodies and harmonies, or covered his work as well, including “Before I Let Go,” from Beyoncé on her live album “Homecoming” in 2019.
Legendary actor James Earl Jones passed away at his home on Monday at the age of 93. He was known for his iconic voice and one of the few performers to achieve the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony). He was a pioneer, making his Broadway debut in 1958 and becoming one of the first Black actors to have a continuing role on a daytime soap in 1965 on As the World Turns. He went on to star in film, television and on Broadway, starring in so many of our favorites—as Mufasa in The Lion King, King Jaffe Joffer in Coming to America, and Darth Vader in Star Wars. He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1985, received the National Medal of Arts in 1992, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2002, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2009, and the Academy Honorary Award in 2011.
We honor their memory and will always remember to celebrate their magic!