Frankie Beverly, who died on September 10, had a close relationship with his son Anthony Beverly.
Anthony followed in his father’s musical footsteps from a young age. He learned to play drums as a toddler and by his early 20s he was touring with his father’s band, Maze.
He has not yet commented publicly on his father’s death, but his family issued a joint statement on the passing of the R&B legend.
“Grief over the loss of a loved one is a deeply personal and emotional experience,” the family wrote on Instagram. “During this time as we grapple with feelings of grief, reflection and remembrance, we politely ask for privacy and understanding so we have the space to grieve in our own ways.”
Read on to learn more about Frankie Beverly’s son, Anthony Beverly.
He is a drummer and toured with Maze
Anthony Beverly is a musician. He started playing drums at the age of 4, he said on the Cheron Moore Extraordinary Drummers Show in 2023.
“My mother always said I would get out the pots and pans, grab two butter knives or something like that and play the drums,” he recalls.
“My dad bought me a Mickey Mouse drum kit and (my mom) said he would set it up and I couldn’t wait to get started,” he added.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Beverly began his career as a professional drummer at the age of 20, playing with artists such as Christopher Williams, Troop and Maze, his father’s band.
He said in his interview with Cheron Moore that he played with his father for about two years and described this time as a visit to “groove school”.
“I knew how to play pocket and all that stuff until I got on stage with him,” he said. “And it was like, ‘OK, you have to pull back the snare drum, you have to pull back the kick drum, but don’t waste any time.'”
“So I’m sitting there thinking, ‘What?'” he continued, laughing. “But the more I played with him, the more I understood.”
Beverly said that when he was touring with Maze, being Frankie Beverly’s son didn’t give him any special privileges.
“Back when I was sitting in the drummer’s chair… it was especially hot… because he could say other things to me that he couldn’t say to other guys,” he told Moore, but added that his father never said “mean things.”
“He’s slowed down since then with age, but man, this is the hardest job I’ve ever done,” he said.
He honored Frankie Beverly in 2009 with a tribute album
Beverly honored his father’s legacy in 2009 with a tribute album titled “Silky Soul Music … An All-Star Tribute to Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly.”
He co-produced the album through Brantera Music Group, a company he founded with his then-wife, entertainment attorney Heather Nelson-Beverly.
According to the Associated Press, the album featured contributions from artists such as Mary J. Blige and Musiq Soulchild, Joe and the Clark Sisters.
“I want to honor my father’s contributions to the industry,” Beverly told AP. “Not only is this an accomplished group of artists with diverse and distinctive voices, they are all fans of Frankie Beverly and Maze.”
He talked about his “cool” relationship with his father
Anthony Beverly reflected on his relationship with his father in his 2023 interview with Moore, explaining that despite his father’s fame, he felt they had a “typical father-son relationship.”
“He is who he is, but to me he’s my dad,” he said. “So we get together a lot and talk about music, but mostly not. It’s really cool. We have a really cool relationship and the older I get the better it gets.”
He also told Moore that he was “very similar” to his father musically.
“I have his ears and I hear music, and if it’s not right – oh my God, I want to cut my ears off. I have his ears, for sure,” he told Moore.
Anthony Beverly’s children have followed in their grandfather’s musical footsteps in different ways
Anthony Beverly has a son, Brandon, and two daughters, Ava and Tiera.
Brandon Beverly, his eldest, works in music management and previously served as Frankie Beverly’s road manager and personal assistant for two years, according to Brandon’s LinkedIn profile.
Tiera Beverly is an R&B soul singer-songwriter and released the single “Can’t Talk” in 2019.
Anthony Beverly’s youngest daughter, Ava Beverly, is a talented singer, as is her sister Tiera, he told Moore in her interview last year.
“The singing gene escaped me,” he said. “But I tell you, my two daughters both sing like birds.”
Anthony Beverly was previously married to entertainment attorney Heather Nelson-Beverly and appears to be currently married to Candy Beverly, who shared photos of their two’s wedding of sorts on Instagram.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWEETHEART!” Candy Beverly captioned a photo of them from March 2023. “Even though it’s a rainy day, the sun is shining above the clouds. I pray that you feel the warmth of everyone who loves you. I’m so grateful to be able to accompany you through the rest of your life and into eternity.”
