Abdul ‘Duke’ Fakir, Last Surviving Four Tops Member, Dies at 88
variety.comJem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Abdul “Duke” Fakir, the last surviving original member of Motown legends the Four Tops, died on Monday at his home in Detroit, his family confirmed to the New York Times.
The cause was heart failure; he was 88. The group’s tough, soulful voices were one of the defining sounds not just of Motown’s golden era, but the 1960s in general.
Unlike most other Motown acts — even the big-voiced Temptations — the Four Tops’ sound had a sense of urgency and even danger, rather than the sweeter-voiced Smokey Robinson or Supremes. “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch),” “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” (both of which reached No.
1), along with other hits like “It’s The Same Old Song,” “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” “Baby I Need Your Loving,” “Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever” and “Bernadette” are just a few of their hits, many of which were penned by the legendary songwriting team of Brian and Eddie Holland and Lamont Dozier.
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