NEW ORLEANS — A week after soul singer Frankie Beverly passed away, New Orleans and its culture bearers still feel the loss.
Massive crowds gathered Monday evening at Hunter’s Field on Claiborne Avenue to give Beverly a New Orleans-style send-off with a second line parade through the streets ending at the Candlelight Lounge in Tremé.
The crowds gathered as city culture bearers carried through the streets a clear casket with an image cut out of Frankie Beverly as people cheered and somber jazz music filled the air, reverbing off the buildings and the Claiborne underpass.
Frankie Beverly, the legendary "Before I Let Go" singer and leader of the soul band Maze, died Tuesday at the age of 77.
Beverly recorded his 1981 album "Live in New Orleans" in the Saenger Theatre. His final performance in New Orleans was at a sold-out show back on May 25th.
"He lived his life with pure soul as one would say, and for us, no one did it better. He lived for his music, family, and friends," the Beverly family announced in a statement on the official Frankie Beverly and Maze Facebook page.
Beverly is a Philadelphia native, but his soulful music had such a far-reaching impact that he became a root in New Orleans culture and an influencer in its music.
In July, Essence Festival featured a special tribute to Frankie Beverly & Maze, the soul band that closed the event for the festival’s first 15 years.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.