It is not often that the Cultural Community must endure the loss of three icons in the span of six days.  That happened this week, when first Brazilian bossa nova and jazz-funk legend Sergio Mendes passed on to the Ancestors at 83 years of age on September 5 after a bout with long COVID, then it was announced on September 9 that James Earl Jones had transitioned at the age of 93, and finally, R&B legend Frankie Beverly, the founder and leader of Maze, left this mortal plane on September 10 at the age of just 77, shortly after announcing his retirement from performing and embarking on a farewell/thank-you tour.

No amount of praise can adequately convey the impact these giants had on the cultural landscape, particularly in the Afrikan American community.  So we will simply give a brief summary of each, in the hope that this brief tribute will be found to be acceptable by our New Ancestors.

Sergio Mendes, February 11, 1941 – September 5, 2024

I remember listening to classic tracks from Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66 on my father’s old stereo in the 1960s.  Songs like “Fool On The Hill” and perhaps his most famous release, Jorge Ben’s “Mas Que Nada”, lit up the air in our house with their Afro-Brazilian rhythms and melodic vocals.  “Mas Que Nada” would be covered and remixed by numerous Brazilian, Afrikan and World Beat artists, and Mendes himself issued a remix of the track in 2009 in collaboration with the Black Eyed Peas that reimagined the song in both Hip-House and Brazilian-House versions.

Wikipedia may occasionally be criticized because of the collaborative way in which it gathers and presents information, but in certain areas it is useful for providing summaries of important issues, and especially brief biographies of historical, political and cultural icons.  Here is what Wikipedia had to say about Sergio Mendes:

Sérgio Santos Mendes (Brazilian Portuguese: [ˈsɛʁʒju ˈsɐ̃tuz ˈmẽdʒis]; 11 February 1941 – 5 September 2024) was a Brazilian musician. His career took off with worldwide hits by his band Brasil ’66. He released 35 albums and was known for playing bossa nova, often mixed with funk. He was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song in 2012 as a co-writer of “Real in Rio” from the animated film Rio.

Mendes was primarily known in the United States, where his albums were recorded and where most of his touring took place. He was married to Gracinha Leporace, who performed with him from the early 1970s. Mendes collaborated with many artists, including the Black Eyed Peas, with whom he re-recorded in 2006 a version of his 1966 breakthrough hit “Mas que Nada”.

James Earl Jones, January 27, 1931 – September 9, 2024

What Brother didn’t wish he could conjure a voice with the resonant baritone and gravitas of James Earl Jones?  What Sister didn’t feel just a little flutter when he delivered his lines on stage and film?  My first memory of seeing him in person (I only saw him twice as I can recall) was when I was in high school (I think) at a theater production of Othello in Washington, DC.  The second time, my wife and I traveled to New York City in 2008 to catch the Broadway stage production of Tennessee Williams’s “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof” which featured an all-Black cast of Mr. Jones, Phylicia Rashad, Giancarlo Esposito, Terence Howard (making his Broadway debut) and Anika Noni Rose.

Here is a brief summary of Mr. Jones’s bio from Wikipedia:

James Earl Jones (January 17, 1931 – September 9, 2024) was an American actor known for his film roles and his work in theater. He was one of the few performers to achieve the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony). He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1985, and was honored with the National Medal of Arts in 1992, the Kennedy Center Honor in 2002, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2009, and the Academy Honorary Award in 2011.

Born in Arkabutla, Mississippi, in 1931, he had a stutter since childhood. Jones said that poetry and acting helped him overcome the challenges of his disability. A pre-med major in college, he served in the United States Army during the Korean War before pursuing a career in acting. His deep voice was praised as a “stirring basso profondo that has lent gravel and gravitas” to his projects. Jones made his Broadway debut in the play Sunrise at Campobello (1957). He then gained prominence for acting in numerous productions with Shakespeare in the Park including Othello, Hamlet, Coriolanus, and King Lear. Jones worked steadily in theater, winning the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role as a boxer in The Great White Hope (1968), which he reprised in the 1970 film adaptation, earning him Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations.

Jones won his second Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role as a working class father in August Wilson’s Fences (1987). He was a Tony award nominee for his roles as the husband in Ernest Thompson’s On Golden Pond (2005) about an aging couple, and as a former president in the Gore Vidal play The Best Man (2012). His other Broadway performances included Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (2008), Driving Miss Daisy (2010–2011), You Can’t Take It with You (2014), and The Gin Game (2015–2016). He received a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2017.

Jones made his film debut in Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove (1964). He received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Claudine (1974). Jones gained international fame for his voice role as Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise, beginning with the original 1977 film. Jones’s other notable films include The Man (1972), Conan the Barbarian (1982), Matewan (1987), Coming to America (1988), Field of Dreams (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Sneakers (1992), The Sandlot (1993), The Lion King (1994), and Cry, the Beloved Country (1995). On television, Jones received eight Primetime Emmy Awards nominations winning twice for his roles in thriller film Heat Wave (1990) and the crime series Gabriel’s Fire (1991). He also acted in Roots (1977), Jesus of Nazareth (1977), Picket Fences (1994), Homicide: Life on the Street (1997), and Everwood (2004).

Frankie Beverly, December 6, 1946 – September 10, 2024

How many of us didn’t wish we could sing like Frankie Beverly?  How many times have we practically begged the DJ (I should know, I’ve been a DJ for over 40 years) to play “Before I Let Go” by Maze, even after Beyonce had released her cover of the iconic song?  Maze and Frankie Beverly were a fixture from my college years in the late 1970s and early 1980s to the present day.  

Wikipedia said about him in a brief update to their page upon his passing:

Frankie Beverly (born Howard Beverly, December 6, 1946 – September 10, 2024) was an American singer, songwriter, and producer, known primarily for his recordings with the soul and funk band Maze.[1] Beverly formed Maze, originally called Raw Soul, in his hometown of Philadelphia in 1970. After a relocation to San Francisco and an introduction to Marvin Gaye, Maze went on to release nine Gold albums and create a large and devoted following. Beverly was the band’s writer, producer and lead singer. He was known for his distinctive smooth baritone voice and charismatic stage presence.

The song “Silky Soul”, from the 1989 album of the same name, was dedicated to the great Marvin Gaye, but the lyrics could just as easily apply to the great Frankie Beverly.

There was a man I knew
Who was smooth as smooth can be
His music his smile
And his sweet sweet melody
Do you recall that mentor
And the voice with the velvet touch
I’ll never forget how he moved us all so much

Do you remember
That special one that very special one
I do remember
How much he’s done
I can still here his sweet song

Silky silky soul singer (repeats)