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Abdul “Duke” Fakir, the last surviving member of Motown standouts the Four Tops, died on Monday at his home in Detroit. According to a statement from his family, the cause was heart failure. Fakir was 88.
Born in Detroit in 1935, Fakir met future Four Tops member Levi Stubbs in high school. After they teamed up, they were joined by Lawrence Payton and Renaldo “Obie” Benson. Initially, the foursome were called the Four Aims. Upon being signed to the Chicago-based label Chess Records in 1956, they changed their name to avoid being mixed up with the Ames Brothers.
The Four Tops signed with Motown in 1962 and released their first single under the label in 1964, “Baby I Need Your Loving,” which Fakir cited as his favorite. The next year, the Four Tops got their first #1 with “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch).” Future hits included “Something About You,” #1 single “Reach Out I’ll Be There,” “Shake Me, Wake Me (When It’s Over),” and “Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever.”
Motown’s second-most famous group (after the Temptations), the Four Tops kept its original lineup until the deaths of members Levi Stubbs, Renaldo Benson, and Lawrence Payton. Alex Morris (who was in the news last month) joined in 2019, after the departure of replacement member Harold “Spike” Bonhart. Fakir’s retirement was reported just last week.
After being inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame in 1990, the Four Tops were voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998. They received a Grammy lifetime achievement award in 2009. According to local sources, Fakir was working on a Broadway musical based on the Four Tops’ lives. He also completed a memoir, I’ll Be There, which was published in 2022.