Keith Beaton ‘Blue Magic’ Obituary

Keith Beaton, a vocalist who came to prominence in American R&B and Soul group, Blue Magic has died.

Beaton was part of Blue Magic from the beginning, and was pivotal in growing the group into one of the all-time great Philly soul vocal groups.

The group which comprised Ted Wizard Mills – lead tenor, Wendell Sawyer – baritone, lead, Keith “Duke” Beaton – tenor, Richard Pratt – bass and Vernon Sawyer- tenorwas was one of the earliest acts produced by Norman Harris, a Philadelphia recording veteran.

The group’s harmonies were supported by the MFSB studio house band. Their first early song release in 1973 was “Spell” which went onto the Billboard R&B charts at number 30.

The group was also known for making dreamy ballads and their choreographed stage moves.

Their second release was the uptempo “Look Me Up”; which reached number 36, stayed on the R&B chart for 11 weeks, and was popular on the early disco scene. Their next single, ballad “Stop to Start” was even more successful, reaching #14 on the Billboard R&B chart and #74 on the pop chart.

The group had their first world tour in 1975 and it lasted for 42 weeks.

The tour included 48 states in the United States, five countries in Europe and a 10-day stay in the Philippines.

By 1977, due to the rise of disco and changing music styles, the group’s popularity faded.

Keith Beaton died on January 13, 2023.

He was 72 years.