According to nme.com, Duke Fakir, the final surviving member of The Four Tops, has died at the age of 88 years old. The artist passed away at his home in Detroit on July 22 from heart failure, which his family confirmed to the Detroit Free Press. In a statement shared with the paper, Fakir’s family wrote: “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,’ it began.”

The family adds: “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.”

Fakir was born in Detroit on December 26, 1935. He rose to prominence as a member of the Motown group The Four Tops, which formed in 1953, initially as The Four Aims. After a few unsuccessful stints with labels, in 1963, a decade after initially forming following a performance at a neighborhood party, the goup were signed to Motown by Berry Gordy Jr.

In a 2019 interview with NME, Fakir shared his experiences entering the public eye with Motown: “It was a totally different industry. Motown was breaking through and we wanted the public to know that 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.”