CNN —Abdul “Duke” Fakir, a founding member of the Motown group the Four Tops, has died, according to his family. Born in Detroit, Fakir developed a love of music as a teen while performing with his local church and school choirs, according to a 2012 interview with NPR. In 1954, they formed the first iteration of their band in Detroit called the Four Aims, according to a Motown Museum biography of the group. “[O]nce we started singing, our whole perspective of life changed,” Fakir said in a 2022 interview with The Detroit News. In 2022, Fakir released his memoir “I’ll Be There: My Life With the Four Tops.”Fakir is survived by his wife, Piper Fakir, his children, 13 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

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Persons: CNN — Abdul “ Duke ” Fakir, Fakir, Piper, ”, ” Fakir, Honey, Levi Stubbs, Renaldo, Obie ” Benson, Lawrence Payton, Berry Gordy, “, Payton, Benson, Stubbs, Piper Fakir Organizations: CNN, Motown, Hall of Fame, NPR, Motown Records, Detroit News, Stone Locations: Detroit