The Last Surviving The Four Tops Singer Duke Fakir Passed Away At 88

Duke Fakir, the last surviving member of The Four Tops, died at 88. Fakir passed away in his Detroit home on July 22 due to heart failure, as confirmed by his family to the Detroit Free Press.

The family wrote in their statement:

“Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of a trailblazer, icon, and music legend who, through his 70-year music career, touched the lives of so many as he continued to tour until the end of 2023 and officially retired this year.
“As the last living founding member of the iconic Four Tops music group, we find solace in Duke’s legacy living on through his music for generations to come.”

Born in Detroit on December 26, 1935, Fakir rose to fame as a member of The Four Tops, originally called ‘The Four Aims’. The group formed in 1953 and, after several unsuccessful attempts with different labels, they were signed to Motown by Berry Gordy Jr. in 1963.

In a 2019 interview with NME, Fakir reflected on the group’s early days with Motown. He said:

“It was a totally different industry. Motown was breaking through and we wanted the public to know that we were good people. It was helping civil rights a lot because our music was seeping into people’s houses which wouldn’t have it in there before.
“We were showing people we were clean-cut, serious, and professional. Motown wanted to make the impression of good strong Americans singing our type of music, so we were taught how to talk and dress well.”

The Four Tops gained immense popularity, with their 1967 album The Four Tops Greatest Hits becoming the first Motown album to reach Number 1 on the UK charts, dethroning The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Their biggest hits included ‘I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)’, ‘Reach Out, I’ll Be There’, and ‘Standing In the Shadows of Love’, selling over 50 million records worldwide.

The group originally consisted of Lawrence Payton, Obie Benson, Levi Stubbs, and Duke Fakir. Tragically, Payton, Benson, and Stubbs all passed away from cancer between 1997 and 2008. Fakir often spoke about the lasting impact of his bandmates, saying in 2019:

“I can feel them saying ‘Hey thanks man for keeping the legacy going’. That’s how close we really were and it seems like we’re still close even after they’re gone.”

Despite Motown’s relocation to Los Angeles in 1972, The Four Tops chose to remain in Detroit. In their later years, they released hits such as ‘Keeper of the Castle’ and ‘Ain’t No Woman (Like the One I Got)’. The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.

Fakir continued to perform until the end of 2023, before retiring this year. Smokey Robinson 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 gonna miss you, my brother.”