Duke Fakir/The Last Remaining Member of The Four Tops

Duke Fakir:

00:00:00.33 – 00:00:10.609

 Takin a walk The first big engagement he got to us was in Denver Colorado which still exists the Wurst Country Club and we start singing

and this big tall guy just got the screaming I mean out of pitch and all that the proprietor came up to us and said get out of here get off my face

Announcer:

00:00:21.92 – 00:00:40.75

on this episode of taking a walk Join Buzz Knight as he talks with a living legend Duke Fakir is the last surviving member of the Four Tops He and Kathleen mcgee Anderson wrote the book I’ll be there My Life with the Four Tops Join Buzz next with Duke Fakir

Buzz Knight:

00:00:42.389 – 00:00:54.159

 So let us go to the take a walk virtual hotline I wanna ask am I speaking with the living legend Heavenly voice amazing soul named Duke Fakir

Duke Fakir:

00:00:55.029 – 00:01:01.939

 Well this is Duke Fakir Now all those adjectives you give and all of that I know

that may be part of me I’m not sure I’ll let you let you be the one that decides But yes this is Duke and I’m very happy to be talking to you buddy

Buzz Knight:

00:01:13.54 – 00:01:22.58

 I am so grateful to be talking to you Duke The book is tremendous You’re the author of I will be there My life with the Four Tops

Duke Fakir:

00:01:23.19 – 00:01:25.19

 Yeah you did read it So that’s good

Buzz Knight:

00:01:25.68 – 00:01:28.98

 Oh man the book just radiates It’s just

Buzz Knight:

00:01:29.519 – 00:01:33.19

 radiates joy sir It really does

Duke Fakir:

00:01:33.559 – 00:01:43.769

 Well thank you Um I can’t wait to get it out uh as a musical Uh so people can really understand who the four tops

Duke Fakir:

00:01:44.279 – 00:01:59.099

 are were and how it all came about and how joyful it was for us You know it was it’s uh and it still is for me You know because the best day best part of my day is still on stage

Buzz Knight:

00:01:59.669 – 00:02:06.569

 So the books available at Amazon and we’re going to talk about bringing it to the stage a little bit later on But

Buzz Knight:

00:02:07.18 – 00:02:21.139

 do me a favor Duke take me back You’re three years old right And you’re waiting for your pops to bring you one of those Coney Island hot dogs that are so notable from the Detroit Michigan area

Buzz Knight:

00:02:21.3 – 00:02:26.27

 Tell me can you remember how good that puppy tasted when he brought it home

Duke Fakir:

00:02:26.83 – 00:02:38.729

 Well absolutely Yes And I still eat them That’s how that’s how well I remember uh I still love those Coney Islands It’s just and I can you know I can remember more

Duke Fakir:

00:02:38.74 – 00:03:03.47

 about when I was younger than I can What I did yesterday It’s just amazing how sometimes the mind works Uh But that that still those hot dogs strung me out I mean I still eat them today I look forward to eating them and I’ll go out and get them or have somebody get them for me Um but I don’t eat a lot of them at a time I might eat one

Duke Fakir:

00:03:03.669 – 00:03:11.32

 and then skip a day Then I’ll need another one but I still love them Absolutely love them

Buzz Knight:

00:03:11.88 – 00:03:26.789

 As I said Duke the book Radiates of Love and of Gratitude Those are some uh lessons that really shaped you uh especially in your early days from your folks Correct

Duke Fakir:

00:03:27.139 – 00:03:41.85

 Correct I’ve thankfully I’ve always been surrounded by a lot of love and it really helped me I mean it was it that would that has always been me whenever I’m in a

Duke Fakir:

00:03:42.059 – 00:04:00.009

 situation or around people where there is not love radiating I am very uncomfortable that my family was a very lovable family Then we went to the four tops family which was all about love respect and honor and

Duke Fakir:

00:04:00.309 – 00:04:16.66

 and II I see it in the people’s eyes day in and day out every show cause I look at people very intensely and I like your you know reaction and I can see a lot of love and a lot of respect

Duke Fakir:

00:04:16.94 – 00:04:40.42

 And it’s always to me everything seems to me to be about a family of love even my team that we’re working on the musical uh the young lady that he helped me write the book it it’s all it’s all about love and I am I don’t mind saying it you know because you know love come love comes in so many different forms

Duke Fakir:

00:04:40.839 – 00:05:00.0

 you know and I’ve experienced pretty much all the forms that there are I if love is the common denominator Oh then it’s such a joy I’m just like that I was like I was born with it you know I think I was born on the fence you know between the Muslim and the Christian

Duke Fakir:

00:05:00.519 – 00:05:27.679

 Uh and both of those are really about peace and love and I think I’ve really got a good part of both of those because I feel that I’m very uncomfortable when I’m around things that does not radiate love I I’m just like that and I understand it and I’m just hurry up I’ll turn my back and walk away quickly Um you know I don’t ever run from anything but I know how to get out

Duke Fakir:

00:05:28.19 – 00:05:57.5

 you know how to get out from growing up in Detroit You have to learn how to escape this in different situations So uh I know how to but most of the time in my especially since I’ve been growing up I’ve experienced a lot a lot a lot of love and in fact my wife and I we are on our 49th year soon as it hits next year which is 24

Duke Fakir:

00:05:57.839 – 00:06:15.269

 just like was singing with the top before any one of us passed away We did like 40 40 years together at least you know and I and I still kept it going even as the guys you know went home uh I just kept it going because it was a gift to us to do

Duke Fakir:

00:06:16.149 – 00:06:23.54

 And I’m just very proud that I was a member or I am a member of the Four Tops which is

Duke Fakir:

00:06:24.049 – 00:06:51.179

 they sang about Love They gave a lot of love In fact when we first got together it changed I could tell right away it changed their perspective of people Then they you know they start looking at loving people and enjoying you know it was just a it was so much love so much understanding and there was so much talent there you know when you’re young and have talent

Duke Fakir:

00:06:51.42 – 00:07:01.859

 uh you know you can really show it in different ways And we were very fortunate in having a young man in his head He

Duke Fakir:

00:07:02.399 – 00:07:30.64

 knew every note and every chord and he just would pass it on to us you know he got it’s amazing how he could hear Uh He could we could have the rehearsing with a 10 piece band and if one of them hit a wrong one said hey you at first And that was a B flat not a b you know and stuff like that Uh That’s amazing That’s a hell of a gift

Duke Fakir:

00:07:31.019 – 00:07:55.079

 you know especially in entertainment Uh and it has passed on to his son who sings with us now Um so it’s amazing It’s been amazing Right Because it’s filled with all kinds of wonderful stories and side bars and things, but it’s all grafted from love

Duke Fakir:

00:07:55.309 – 00:08:21.73

 And I look at the world today and I said how where what happened to the to the love to me there was so much more love when I was a kid I mean in the world not just in my family but you know even though there was segregation there was still it just where we are we knew it existed and you just try not to do things to bring it and put the balloon in your face

Duke Fakir:

00:08:21.95 – 00:08:51.609

 When music is in the air the people don’t think about color nationality and all that music is his own world And it and it sucks people in especially if it’s done really well And then and it sounds good and feels good People they don’t think about anything but what that feeling is and I’ve experienced watching I’ve watched people who um who I thought would be racially

Duke Fakir:

00:08:51.849 – 00:09:05.63

 uh compelled to do or be another way but music would just will soothe the heart and you know and then we’ll just bring them into the fold I remember on our first Motown tour

Duke Fakir:

00:09:05.869 – 00:09:34.369

 Well you know it was it was segregated We played the segregated audiences uh you know the blacks would have to sit up in the balcony and all the whites would be on the first floor So after about 22 or three gigs Barry Gordy’s sister who ran uh Esther Gordy who ran those tours and then created those tours for all the tops and temps and every and everyone that was there

Duke Fakir:

00:09:34.77 – 00:10:00.0

 Um She said look we can’t keep doing this She says so she just broke up the tour and she said let’s go home She said this is not good you know and we went home and uh after some conversation I guess with promoters and different people they made they created another tour and it was uh it was just a loving tour I mean we could for the first time we really saw

Duke Fakir:

00:10:00.27 – 00:10:24.349

 people all dancing together of different colors the music just to get out of their seat and just go to dancing and it was just amazing a wonderful sight to see You know we stand we would stand back stage all of us every part every artist and kind of keep an eye on what’s going on you know just from being used to doing that from watching out Um

Duke Fakir:

00:10:24.65 – 00:10:42.15

 because we didn’t know you know what was going on sometimes with the audiences but after that it was just a joy to see how people just they love they love the music they didn’t think about it you know they didn’t care Uh you know of course there’s always one or two somewhere that

Duke Fakir:

00:10:42.159 – 00:10:59.669

 they have their own way of thinking but we I’m talking about it People were full of love understanding happiness joy and all that kind of stuff and you could feel it and it would just make you it would make you sing more from your heart than just singing words and notes

Duke Fakir:

00:11:00.0 – 00:11:15.479

 You know you would be singing a feeling, and you try to project it and give it give it out to them because they’re giving you a great feeling with all their um their claps they’re dancing they’re singing with you and it’s just

Duke Fakir:

00:11:15.849 – 00:11:32.64

 it is just a joke and this deal is the best part of my day You know even now I totally enjoy I cannot wait to get to work because it’s not work It’s joyful It’s just being in in a in an arena of joy.

Buzz Knight:

00:11:33.03 – 00:11:44.969

 Oh, Duke I love that Comment an arena of joy That’s a beautiful way to put it Now there’s a number of characters Duke in the book who they kinda shape the storyline

Buzz Knight:

00:11:45.4 – 00:11:56.19

 There is one I want to ask you about that was important Maybe I will ask you about a couple uh Joanne artist First of all talk about what she meant to you Uh early on in your

Duke Fakir:

00:11:56.2 – 00:12:09.239

 life Jo Joanne artist was a schoolmate but um she belonged she was like the hit of this club of black girls They because your hair was odd.

Duke Fakir:

00:12:09.65 – 00:12:38.59

 and she uh she and the girls they were crazy about this about us you know and when she gave this party we that’s how we got together but she liked us individually anyway She was just that kind of girl and we were you know we act classy We weren’t but we act at that age because we like being around them They were beautiful they were understanding they were smart

Duke Fakir:

00:12:38.75 – 00:13:08.45

 Uh And so when she gave this party and that’s how we really got together Uh me and Levi had been together for a while uh thinking about singing and how we could get a group and what and then we decided to get Mr Benson because he had a nice baritone voice and he could almost think you know he had a very good range Then he’s a smiling guy He’s very good with the girls

Duke Fakir:

00:13:08.729 – 00:13:31.94

 and Lawrence Payton Uh We knew his family was totally about music I would walk by down the street where he lived, we all lived in the same neighborhood, and they would be sitting on the porch all parts of this family singing all kinds of singing lullaby singing church songs singing gospel singing love songs

Duke Fakir:

00:13:32.239 – 00:13:40.179

 And to find out that Lawrence Payton is his family is a descendant from the Ellington from Duke Ellington

So that music somehow or another just runs through that family in their heads. They can they know music without having studied anything and they just hear it and it is just amazing.

Buzz Knight:

00:13:55.94 – 00:14:04.229

 Ok Duke Now tell me about this gentleman Um I think he was if I’m not mistaken, he was known as the ex-con singer

Buzz Knight:

00:14:04.75 – 00:14:07.51

 uh named uh Welton Barnett

Duke Fakir:

00:14:08.21 – 00:14:28.289

 Well Walton Barnett he was I think you misunderstood that Walton Barnett was not the singer He was a guy that kind of he was like a manager you know but he was he and uh he would ask us to sing he we would get gigs now he could get he would get gigs for us

Duke Fakir:

00:14:28.559 – 00:14:55.679

 Um And we would go to Toledo where he lived and he would have us singing at one of these clubs And then he he’s the one that got us uh engagement in in Denver And that was this was before the four tops This was basically just Levi and I and we would get whatever he would put together Uh And it was uh it was a chore really because Levi is a great lead singer

Duke Fakir:

00:14:55.849 – 00:15:23.19

 but it often e Barnett he like this tall guy that couldn’t to me couldn’t sing a fucking note But he sang but he sang so loud and so high and then Levi was just you know and try to get with it I the first big engagement he got us was in Denver Colorado which still exists the Wurst country club and we start singing

Duke Fakir:

00:15:23.38 – 00:15:27.46

 and this big, tall guy just got the screaming

Duke Fakir:

00:15:27.63 – 00:15:57.57

 I mean out of pitch and all that the proprietor came up to us and said get the fuck out of here Get off my stage If you heard this guy singing you know you know he had in fact he was excon but he had he had no business you know being in show business at all He looks like a convict too He was one in his head He still was and his voice was still a voice

Buzz Knight:

00:15:58.03 – 00:16:10.229

 You know the uh the look I could visualize it uh from the book I could see the look between you and Levi Stubbs kinda looking at each other almost rolling your eyes when that guy was singing.

Duke Fakir:

00:16:10.669 – 00:16:22.479

 Yeah, Uh It was just you know you could tell and I that there was something going on people would watch us and me and le be eyeing each other almost We cause we all

Duke Fakir:

00:16:22.489 – 00:16:46.95

 was cracking up because you know it’s pretty hard you know just to keep calm and be smiling and be pleasant for the artist when your lead singer is sounding like shit you know what I mean That’s just But anyway uh but we lived through it and right after that after that guy put through us out of his place in Denver

Duke Fakir:

00:16:47.2 – 00:17:14.68

 Uh Levi and I we took a bus and got home and it was very soon after that that we went to because Levi and I were in school together also uh very soon after that that when Joan Artist this lovely young girl uh gave that party now I saw her for the rest of my life up until about 44 years ago because she worked at AAA Um

Duke Fakir:

00:17:14.91 – 00:17:23.13

 and I always kept AAA insurance because I always got a chance to see her and talk to her a little bit every now and then.

Duke Fakir:

00:17:23.729 – 00:17:43.689

 So you know life is life has been a cruise for me You know there’s been ups and downs but it’s the ups has been so far up that I can’t even think about the downs if I do It’s in it’s in a joking way you know how we got through it and all of that

Buzz Knight:

00:17:44.54 – 00:18:02.93

 now Duke there is some venues that you talk about in the book I will mention a couple and get your reaction One I’ll mention is the Ebony Lounge in Cleveland and the other was called Eddie’s Lounge in Flint Michigan Paint a picture of what these places were like

Duke Fakir:

00:18:03.52 – 00:18:10.26

 Ok Back in the fifties there were quite a few of this type of clubs

Duke Fakir:

00:18:10.66 – 00:18:38.739

 There are clubs that maybe sit from 600 down to 200 you know and they always had a little combo plan and people they would have artists that would just that they would book for one night or two nights or for a weekend and they were in almost every city Uh And they were mostly you know black own clubs and then black run clubs

Duke Fakir:

00:18:39.0 – 00:19:00.449

 and it was pretty much I don’t know it was pretty much just a good hangout and for them just to have a little extra entertainment on the weekend Uh which uh a lot of a lot of groups and artists were coming up at that time and there was always in every city there were those kind of clubs

Duke Fakir:

00:19:00.81 – 00:19:23.88

 hard for me to paint that picture if you got there But it’s just um this wonderful club people just hanging out for the weekend and on the you know on the weekends usually or sometimes for a whole week according to how the club was uh managed we like to hang out what I mean by we I’m talking about all my all the black people I know

Duke Fakir:

00:19:24.089 – 00:19:52.319

 I’ve always enjoyed they work hard during the week and on the weekends they want to get out and hang out with people and have fun and listen to music sing and dance And I believe everybody in Detroit could sing I always believe that somebody said how many how many groups come out of Detroit I said I don’t know I said but there could be as many groups as they want But to me everybody in Detroit can sing They always have been around music with us and

Duke Fakir:

00:19:52.329 – 00:20:17.03

 whether it’s in church or whether it’s somewhere they’ve always been around music and they just expect you to be able to sing It’s it and they can sing themselves and they know singing they know when you’re not hitting them notes and they also know when you’re hitting notes and making great harmony and when you sing it from your heart or when you’re singing this is my home I love Detroit I love how it’s come through it changes

Duke Fakir:

00:20:17.4 – 00:20:38.319

 I just can’t wait to this day because it’s getting near the end of my career And I’m starting to think of what you going to do when you retire now a month or two ago I was thinking about it I looked at my age and I said Duke you’ve been doing this for them It 70 years now It just seems like you should

Duke Fakir:

00:20:38.81 – 00:21:06.359

 not have to want to do it anymore I said well ok I think I’ll start So I’m talking to myself So I talked to my wife and I was talking about when I possibly retire and it was just that we’re talking about a few months ahead and that was just a couple of years ago That’s when the pandemic hit We stayed at home for so long I said you know what d this is retirement and this ain’t shit

Duke Fakir:

00:21:06.979 – 00:21:26.099

 I said I just wait until I can’t do it no more So here, I am now not thinking about retirement I’m thinking about moving forward I still can dance a little I’ve lost quite a few steps because of my hip operations and things like that

Duke Fakir:

00:21:26.709 – 00:21:33.739

 So, this is what I do this um you know and guess what I was I was made for this

Buzz Knight:

00:21:34.05 – 00:21:39.54

 you know one of your mentors in the book that you talk about is uh the great Billy Eckstein

Buzz Knight:

00:21:40.13 – 00:21:44.219

 And he said and I will quote you have got to love the audience.

Buzz Knight:

00:21:44.819 – 00:21:53.29

 and I think at its core that is why uh you are going to keep doing this because you just love your audience Uh isn’t that true.

Duke Fakir:

00:21:53.709 – 00:22:13.569

 That is absolutely true It really is I mean the feeling I get I’m anxious every show before it’s time to go on I’m anxious to get out there and perform and I I’d like to scan the audience and try to read their expressions and it’s always great expressions.

Duke Fakir:

00:22:13.76 – 00:22:42.15

 You know very seldom can look out there and find a person with a frown on their face It’s just and it’s just wonderful You know it’s just you know to feel love and respect every night that you perform That is uh that is a way of life itself li living in that atmosphere work And I you know I hate to call this work because it’s not work for me Work is getting on the getting on our

Duke Fakir:

00:22:42.16 – 00:23:10.03

 and traveling to be g that that to me is work But once we uh at the venue it just all play for me it’s like a basketball player getting in the gym You know once I get once I get near the stage that’s um that’s where I feel at home at the most And I just I love watching people get the feeling you know it’s just amazing you know that you can

Duke Fakir:

00:23:10.189 – 00:23:30.829

 you can see how much they enjoy it and it just it just gets me, and I think it still gets even the news cops you know uh I think we they’ve learned that this is what it’s about it’s about the people having as much fun as you or more

Duke Fakir:

00:23:31.05 – 00:23:49.13

 Yeah, And it’s about transferring something to them so that they get it am not it ain’t just about singing notes It am not just about you know dressing well It’s about giving out a spirit of love in your music that they can feel and

Duke Fakir:

00:23:49.739 – 00:24:12.339

 and they respond when you do that you know we know when somebody is aching and don’t give their best you know and it and it hurts the whole group to me and I and we have long talks about it said look man you cannot carry anything that’s happened to you in the day or the night or what happened at home You can’t carry that on stage The stage is for you

Duke Fakir:

00:24:12.349 – 00:24:39.54

 wiped it out and to feel what the audience have for you they’re waiting to give you that love and you can tell and when you do it right you get it right away and then it’s just a wonderful love affair Um And it’s just and it’s amazing It’s amazing to for me when I think about it to go through life my job is going to places where there’s love

Duke Fakir:

00:24:39.969 – 00:24:43.06

 always love respect So

Buzz Knight:

00:24:43.609 – 00:25:10.16

 Duke there’s been some moments of incredible uh faithful moments I would say and fateful moments that come up in the book there’s one in particular I want to ask you about and that is the uh the Lockerbie moment It’s kind of a moment of faith and fate Can you talk about that experience just how you knew before then that there was like a higher power that was kind of working in uh in your life

Buzz Knight:

00:25:10.349 – 00:25:13.469

 and you certainly knew there was a higher power after that.

Duke Fakir:

00:25:14.209 – 00:25:34.43

 Oh, absolutely Um We were in we were in London England and we had two different shows to two different sets to do on two different days for this particular show uh which was a big rock show and I’ll think of the name in a minute

Duke Fakir:

00:25:34.829 – 00:26:02.92

 The producer wanted us to do like it was scheduled You do t two songs today and tomorrow you can do to do two songs on our next set So now this is close to very close to Christmas very close You know we said look man you know it’d be nice if we could just take one day even if you want us to change clothes with g come off for a minute and come back and do a couple more

Duke Fakir:

00:26:03.229 – 00:26:21.53

 You know He said no he said no it’s set up that you have to do the second night I said man, and we tried every kind of conversation to him and he just would not change And I am so we would after we realized what really happened

Duke Fakir:

00:26:22.38 – 00:26:34.04

 uh We were so glad I am telling you we all we all wanted to go kiss that guy honestly or hug him or something that produced it had he had he listened to us we would not be here.

Buzz Knight:

00:26:34.76 – 00:26:43.39

 So, Duke if I’m hearing the story correctly you and the rest of the band members you were supposed to be on that plane that went down

Duke Fakir:

00:26:43.68 – 00:27:04.984

 Yeah we were listen we were trying to get on that plane We tried everything possible that you really did good It shows that we tried everything possible You know we had a road manager book us We thought we could talk this guy into letting us do everything we had to do in one day even if we had to change clothes

Duke Fakir:

00:27:04.994 – 00:27:33.319

 uh you know just the king songs or whatever you want done but they wouldn’t listen He said no it has to go just like it is And he to me was the one that that kept us from getting on that flight And when I got home I mean people were waiting at the airport but I was so I’m still thinking of what could have happened and I didn’t really speak to the people but I was so glad to see my wife

Duke Fakir:

00:27:33.56 – 00:28:02.26

 I just I mean come on let’s go home I just want to get home I mean cause I uh that’s frightened me for quite a while And the rest of us that we tried with all our hearts to walk into a death plan I mean that is amazing that we were saved by this producer because if it wasn’t for him sticking to his plan we would have been gone And you know I guess the great director upstairs

Duke Fakir:

00:28:02.439 – 00:28:05.349

 he knows all that and he prepares it you.

Buzz Knight:

00:28:05.359 – 00:28:19.989

 know and there was this other moment to Duke that was one of these incredible higher power sorts of moments It was that that incident with your sister you were fooling around with the gun and uh talk about that time Duke

Duke Fakir:

00:28:20.189 – 00:28:27.88

 Well, my brother my older brother he I loved him to death and he served many years in the service

Duke Fakir:

00:28:28.189 – 00:28:52.53

 and we had just moved in a nice from really from the deep ghetto to a nicer home And he said but you know there’s gangs all over around town He said here you take this P 38 said it’ll blow somebody’s head off if they mess with You said don’t use it unless you really have to I was so excited about it I just you know I said whoa this is a bad gun You know

Duke Fakir:

00:28:52.76 – 00:29:02.089

 my sisters and I we would my mother worked you know stepdad worked and so we did the housework, and we were downstairs in the basement washing

Duke Fakir:

00:29:02.489 – 00:29:23.494

 doing the family wash And I showed my sister that I said look what a gave me She said that’s a gun dude I said yeah, she said she you know she said you you’re in another gang related neighborhood you might need it And I kept playing around with it I said

Duke Fakir:

00:29:23.505 – 00:29:46.839

 see let me show you how it works And I thought I was taken all the bullets out but there was one in the chamber that I didn’t know about So I said I’m and I pointed at her and it didn’t go off She says don’t point that gun at me you know better than that I said nothing in it And I was and as I was talking to her I pointed it to the roof and pulled the trigger and bam

Duke Fakir:

00:29:47.699 – 00:29:49.78

 that bullet came out that time.

Duke Fakir:

00:29:50.78 – 00:29:57.449

 Now you know I stayed there, and I sat there and almost cried I said sh her name was sham

Duke Fakir:

00:29:57.979 – 00:29:59.719

 I said you know what I

Duke Fakir:

00:30:00.43 – 00:30:17.849

 I was about to kill you and didn’t know it And I really thought about that for years and years and I thank I thank the Lord that something happened that bullet, but I did not know was there did not come out when I clicked it at her

Duke Fakir:

00:30:18.63 – 00:30:44.04

 you know and that was frightening That was frightening And guess what I never I never carried a gun or used a gun after that Never any kind of gun And we have tours down South on the bus you know the guys would bring their guns You know that’s when the South was crazy We didn’t know what you be you can be confronted with but I never after that carried a gun Never ever

Duke Fakir:

00:30:45.079 – 00:30:47.089

 And I well so

Buzz Knight:

00:30:47.099 – 00:30:56.06

 let’s talk about bringing all of this to the stage Where are you in that process and uh and just tell me how excited you are about it

Duke Fakir:

00:30:56.5 – 00:31:00.0

 I am so excited about it because as a producer.

Duke Fakir:

00:31:00.739 – 00:31:12.53

 I will be reliving some of those beautiful moments a lot of them um I’ll be reliving them, and it’ll be so authentic because I’m going to make it exactly

Duke Fakir:

00:31:12.709 – 00:31:35.064

 how I felt and how things went So the singers going to have to be great singers They’re going to have to be great actors and they going to have to they’re gonna have to you know in NC A and they have to be very good dancers as well I see we were auditioning one guy to sing He had the greatest voice but he was 6 ft seven

Duke Fakir:

00:31:35.074 – 00:31:57.439

 We didn’t we didn’t need a guy that tall to play a lead singer That’s all And I had to let him go Um So it’s gonna be so much fun reliving those moments building those building the blocks that will lead to some of the great moments that you felt that that really make you feel good Here here’s one moment I will talk to you about

Duke Fakir:

00:31:57.849 – 00:32:26.869

 Mary and I was going together In fact I had moved in with her my wife and I decided that she’s definitely going to get a divorce She says and so I said OK boom So I felt comfortable in moving in with Mary so forth and so on But I think my wife must have when she heard that I was going with beautiful young lady she might have started something and that that’s when we started really making money

Duke Fakir:

00:32:27.089 – 00:32:47.02

 And when I was with my first wife we weren’t we weren’t doing that well So she sent the daughter over to the house or they she drove her daughter over to her house She was about seven or eight and she left her on the porch She said just your daddy’s in there just go and talk with him He’ll take care of you It’s gonna be that way

Duke Fakir:

00:32:47.3 – 00:33:15.939

 And when she comes to the door and I said damn that’s my daughter I said come on in guys She I said what are you doing here She said well mom she dropped me off and just told me to see you said you take care of me I said yeah come on in I said oh my God So what am I gonna do So I brought her into the kitchen where Mary was Mary was preparing some stuff we had in in the living room and in the guest room we had half of Motown Still smokey was there and

Duke Fakir:

00:33:16.15 – 00:33:41.5

 um the Vandella were there and the two Harland brothers were there and Dozier So you know the big I don’t I can’t remember if Marvin was there a lot First of all they were all excited about Mary and I because we had decided we were going to get married So whenever we did something they always come around So it was like a big party that we were starting

Duke Fakir:

00:33:41.939 – 00:33:52.88

 And so anyway she uh Kai was in there talking with Mary and Mary’s talking with her and I am trying to figure out what the hell can how can I work this out.

Duke Fakir:

00:33:53.609 – 00:33:58.8

 And then it really hit me dude the only way you can work this out buddy

Duke Fakir:

00:33:59.77 – 00:34:01.729

 is to take your ass back home.

Duke Fakir:

00:34:03.25 – 00:34:30.158

 So after a while I said how can I tell Mary So anyway II I let um Kyle and then Leli kind of hang out I said Levi don’t you show around the house and this and that He said yeah ok I said Mary and I need to talk He said yes y’all do So Mary and I start talking how can we work this She was getting really upset too nervous and

Duke Fakir:

00:34:30.459 – 00:34:34.02

 and I was upset because I didn’t know what to do, I said Mary

Duke Fakir:

00:34:34.6 – 00:34:35.84

 I said Jesus.

Duke Fakir:

00:34:36.378 – 00:34:45.229

 this is happening this is really happening, and I don’t really know what to do and I should And basically she really wants me to come home

Duke Fakir:

00:34:45.979 – 00:34:51.84

 She said but Duke Mary would say well Duke what you promise, and we made plans and all of that

Duke Fakir:

00:34:52.35 – 00:35:03.229

 I said this is different now Mary and it took me a while but Mary being such a sweetheart she had a big heart like she had a great mind, and she was a beautiful sweet person

Duke Fakir:

00:35:03.83 – 00:35:12.129

 and she knew what I was up against She said Well she said we had some beautiful plans She said dude I know what you have to do

Duke Fakir:

00:35:12.77 – 00:35:31.729

 I said so you do what you have to do She said I understand it This was after about an hour of talking and talking about the situation that she conceded that yeah you need to go home You got a family back there and evidently they want you Now

Duke Fakir:

00:35:32.36 – 00:35:37.989

 I said Well at least my daughter does I know that’s for sure I said Mary I’m gonna have to go

Duke Fakir:

00:35:38.58 – 00:35:57.59

 I said Well please don’t hate me for this I always want to be your friend and no telling what can happen in the future She says Duke one thing I love you and I’ll never forget you And I will always have my arms open to you where you make the decision

Duke Fakir:

00:35:58.12 – 00:36:27.09

 Well that kind of released me enough to say well I’m going to take my daughter home I don’t know how my ex-wife is going to treat us or treat me I said but I got I also got a little son back there I said just this is telling me I’ve got to go home I’ve got to be true to my family So I went home Um you know of course I knocked on the door why she had changed her ways from being

Duke Fakir:

00:36:27.469 – 00:36:35.669

 uh she did not care what I did She was happy to see me and all of that and happy to see me with K

Duke Fakir:

00:36:36.33 – 00:36:38.05

 and so, I took Kai

Duke Fakir:

00:36:38.639 – 00:36:40.58

 into like the living room

Duke Fakir:

00:36:41.399 – 00:36:49.409

 and this song was written for this scene is called I will never ever leave again.

Duke Fakir:

00:36:50.0 – 00:36:53.77

 And I put it on my knee and start singing this song.

Duke Fakir:

00:36:54.35 – 00:37:19.36

 And this song was is really it was an instrumental by Earl Klug on the guitar Lawrence just picked that song and wrote some words that were just perfectly for this particular thing So I put her on my knee and started singing this song I’ll never ever leave again It’s going to be a hot a very heart show moment on stage you know

Duke Fakir:

00:37:19.55 – 00:37:38.489

 So, I’m just giving you an idea of uh how real it would be That was uh a heartfelt moment but there’s so many happy moments there’s so many moments of all kind of feelings that will be in this musical and I’m going to try to make it as authentic as possible

Duke Fakir:

00:37:38.81 – 00:37:59.56

 You know when you put when you put the right words with the scene and the right music with the scene you get the feeling that was there that actually happened So and that song was just perfect for that for that And he you know that was you know it had nothing to do with my daughter or me when he wrote the song I just

Duke Fakir:

00:38:00.07 – 00:38:07.139

 when we started doing musical, I start putting these moments together with different songs.

Buzz Knight:

00:38:07.429 – 00:38:09.989

 That is awesome That’s so tremendous.

Buzz Knight:

00:38:10.719 – 00:38:18.55

 I want to close with this, Duke So I remember reading in the book the moment uh that you know with Levi’s passing.

Buzz Knight:

00:38:19.06 – 00:38:29.87

 and you know how alone uh that you felt and how sad music plays this really uh important role in lives You talked about it.

Buzz Knight:

00:38:30.429 – 00:38:48.629

 we have this other podcast that we produce It is called Music Save Me It’s about the healing power of music and how music uh provides uh a saving grace almost therapeutic and obviously you know the importance of what faith means with music.

Buzz Knight:

00:38:49.37 – 00:39:02.76

 But talk about if you will how important music is to you whether it be the um uplifting moments or the moments like you know when Levi passed when you felt so alone.

Duke Fakir:

00:39:03.34 – 00:39:04.54

 Right Well

Duke Fakir:

00:39:05.439 – 00:39:29.985

 uh you know it that it happened when every one of them passed one by one Lawrence was the first one to pass and we was at his house holding his hand he was pretty close to design I said Lawrence I said look and I prayed I said Lord let me change his spot You know I just don’t want we

Duke Fakir:

00:39:29.995 – 00:39:55.33

 don’t want him to go It’s not time for him He’s still too young And we did that with each other as each one passed And after Lawrence passed well you know every now and then when I sing certain songs we sing certain songs It would remind me of him And that’s why it was just great to have his son able to sing

Duke Fakir:

00:39:55.61 – 00:40:10.76

 right away We did not put him in there right away Uh Levi there was two something for Levi I said no Duke I know he can say but I can’t, so we didn’t put anybody in that spot.

Duke Fakir:

00:40:11.419 – 00:40:18.709

 We did three but we let one of our musicians sang the fourth note you know while he played the piano

 But we couldn’t for a year It was just three of us when Lawrence first passed That’s the way that’s the way it went, We just could not

you know we just could not have anybody in that spot and we all felt that uh that’s what I loved about him because it was truly we were truly

loving each other uh with respect and all kind of things So when the first one Lawrence left it left us with a big hole, We didn’t ever we never expected that You know it seemed like at our age we could that we would be around forever

Duke Fakir:

00:40:59.489 – 00:41:21.449

 and we knew that we were talented enough to do that Not cocky but we were confident that we could be around if the Mills Brothers or so something like that So but that was a that was a AAA devastating moment and time when the first one passed.

Duke Fakir:

00:41:22.459 – 00:41:39.699

 and then when he got sick a few years later and he passed it was just um now for real I thought well this might be it I don’t know I don’t know if I can continue with this man, you know two of my buddies are gone

Duke Fakir:

00:41:40.27 – 00:41:48.86

 Uh and Levi was starting to get really sick, but he stayed there as long as he could but he stopped

Duke Fakir:

00:41:50.06 – 00:41:54.139

 and when he stopped my heart just shattered, I mean.

Duke Fakir:

00:41:54.79 – 00:42:19.629

 you know he said well get somebody to you got a good ear get somebody that can I said Levi can’t nobody replace you or your voice Or your heart I said but I he said keep the group together dude She said the name has a good future you know and he was he was on his death bed then tell talk to me like that

Duke Fakir:

00:42:20.33 – 00:42:21.949

 And I was just crying.

Duke Fakir:

00:42:22.889 – 00:42:23.79

 Anyway

Buzz Knight:

00:42:24.85 – 00:42:49.59

 thank you Duke for taking the time to talk about the book I’ll be there my life with the four tops You can get it on Amazon It’s a great read Thank you for sharing your insights your experience and your journey as it continues to inspire us all and to uh get us through and put a smile on our face the music lives on that’s for sure

Buzz Knight:

00:42:50.06 – 00:43:00.81

 Uh But I could tell you I had a smile through this entire interview just talking to you tickled I am honored I’m so grateful for all the lessons that you teach as well.

Duke Fakir:

00:43:01.129 – 00:43:17.26

 Well thank you for having me believe it or not There’s always a joy to me to remember those moments you know, and we’ve had so many of them so I can get lost in conversations when we start talking about

 You know you could say the greatest love I’ve ever had Uh You know it’s easy to talk about them you know now, And I can remember some of those moments

more than I can remember what I did uh yesterday You know it’s just weird how the moments of heart and love and understanding Uh they stay there then they’re never going away Anyway Thanks for having me It’s a joy and I hope the people enjoy to talk to me Uh me talking to them I just want them to know how much they’ve given us They’ve given me a full life of love happiness

jo and everything else under the sun

and I love each one Thank you You’re

Buzz Knight:

00:44:06.87 – 00:44:17.8

 the best And Tim Sabean and my good friend and yours told me to say hi to you as well but thank you Duke so much for being on the podcast and take care of yourself.

Announcer:

00:44:18.669 – 00:44:33.58

 Thanks for listening to this episode of the taking a walk podcast If you like this and other episodes, please share it with a friend You can find taking a walk on the iheartradio app Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

Buzz Knight is an established media executive with a long history of content creation and multi-platform distribution.

After a successful career as a Radio Executive, he formed Buzz Knight Media which focuses on strategic guidance and the development of new original content.