On January 13, 2023, those pearly gates on high swung open to receive my good friend, singer, and choreographer Keith “The Duke” Beaton of the legendary vocal group Blue Magic whose hits include their 1974 R&B No. 1 single “Sideshow,” which also climbed to the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. Capitalizing on the circus theme of their biggest success, Blue Magic followed it with “Three Ring Circus,” also a popular track with plenty of airplay. Other singles for Blue Magic included “Spell” and “Stop to Start.”

Keith’s fans around the world will forever miss his gracious smile and smooth stage performances.  The Watts family and Keith had a special relationship, especially he and Maurice Jr. who Keith called his “little buddy”.  A fond memory of a special time spent with Keith is when he was on the set of my “30 Years Behind The Mic” DVD along with members of my former gospel group The Ecstatistics.

Please keep his family and the other members of Blue Magic in your prayers. 

Keith’s memorial service will be held on Monday, February 13, 2023 @1pm at the Salem United Methodist Church – 2190 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd, New York, NY 10027