Before We Let Go: An Ode To Frankie Beverly
How many of us have felt electricity shoot through our spine just hearing the three intro notes of Before I Let Go? How many of us have vivid memories of finding our places on a dance floor, in a line on the street, or in some grassy park to electric sliding to Before I Let Go?
Frankie Beverly, the silky voice of many summers, has passed. Beverly, a Philly native whose voice has been part of the soundtrack of the majority of Black weddings, cookouts, parties, and gatherings, passed away on September 10th at the age of 77. His family shared the news in a post on social media.
How many of us have felt electricity shoot through our spine just hearing the three intro notes of Before I Let Go? How many of us have vivid memories of finding our places on a dance floor, in a line on the street, or in some grassy park to electric sliding to Before I Let Go? How many of us can call upon distant and recent memories of singing it at the tops of our lungs in the middle of a celebration? How many of us can recount those moments as almost a ritual, that Before I Let You Go had to come through some speakers before the gathering was over?
That was the magic of Frankie Beverly. His voice rode with us on summer breezes with the windows down, it filled the background sounds of barbeques and church picnics and has been a staple of get-together music for my entire life. It brought us together. It unified us. It got us together, on the same beat, on the same step, often wearing the same color.
Many of Philly’s celebrities are expressing their condolences. Questlove recently reshared an interview where he gave Frankie Beverly his flowers:
Philly’s Radio Vet, Patty Jackson shared her thoughts on Beverly:
Eagles quarterback Jaylen Hurts said of Beverly “His timeless music, his powerful words, and his lasting impact. I’m devastated to hear about this one.”
Philly’s Mayor, Cherelle Parker, also shared her thoughts on Beverly’s passing, saying “One of Philadelphia’s native sons, and a beautiful piece of our soul, has left us.”
Mr. Beverly, “I Wanna Thank You” for the music we could listen to in “Joy and Pain”, for all of the “Happy Feelings”, “Before We Let Go”.
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Whitney Roberts
Whitney Roberts is a Philadelphia writer, podcaster, and content creator featured by the NAACP, Wired, NBC, and more. She contributes to outlets like TheRoot and NPR, amplifying diverse voices and stories.
