Motown Legend Abdul “Duke” Fakir Dies at 88: A Career That Resonated Across Generations

Abdul “Duke” Fakir, the last original member of the legendary Four Tops, passed away on Monday at the age of 88 in his Detroit home.

In a statement to The New York Times, Billboard, and other media outlets, Fakir’s family confirmed his death was due to heart failure. “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,” the statement read. Fakir had been in declining health and retired from touring in late 2023.

A Detroit native, Fakir’s tenor voice was integral to the Four Tops’ timeless hits, such as “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch),” “Bernadette,” “It’s the Same Old Song,” “Reach Out, I’ll Be There,” and “Standing In the Shadows of Love.”

Alongside Levi Stubbs, Renaldo “Obie” Benson, and Lawrence Payton, Fakir helped craft the Four Tops’ signature sound with the iconic Motown songwriting and production team Holland-Dozier-Holland. Even after leaving Motown in 1972, the group continued to produce hits like “Ain’t No Woman (Like the One I’ve Got),” “Keeper of the Castle,” and “Sweet Understanding Love.”

In a file photo from November 16, 1966, Fakir and his bandmates—Levi Stubbs, Lawrence Payton, and Renaldo Benson—are seen at Heathrow Airport in London, en route to the United States.

Fakir’s smooth tenor voice was a cornerstone of the Four Tops' harmony, leading to their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. As one of the original members, Fakir helped form the group in the early 1950s as the Four Aims before they became the Four Tops upon signing with Chess Records.

The Rock Hall website notes, “United by their friendship and a love of music, the Four Tops stuck together for forty years. Mix their classy, polished vocals with the brilliant songwriting of Holland-Dozier-Holland at Motown Records and you have an unstoppable hit machine.”

The original Four Tops members stayed with the group until their deaths, with Fakir eventually becoming the leader and the most recognizable face of the ensemble. Lawrence Payton passed away in 1997, Benson in 2005, and Stubbs in 2008. Lawrence Payton Jr., son of the late Lawrence Payton, is part of the current lineup.

The Four Tops received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009, and two of their singles, “I Can’t Help Myself” and “Reach Out, I’ll Be There,” are enshrined in the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Fakir’s memoir, “I’ll Be There — My Life With the Four Tops,” co-written with Kathleen McGhee-Anderson, was published in 2022. Reflecting on his career in a 2022 interview with The Detroit News, Fakir said, “We loved each other, we loved singing with each other, we loved making music, we loved entertaining people, and we realized we can make people happy. If you have one common goal, which is love of some sort, four people can work together and do whatever it takes to reach that goal.”

Abdul “Duke” Fakir’s legacy is etched in the annals of music history, his voice and spirit continuing to inspire and uplift generations of music lovers.