After dropping her highly anticipated documentary “Homecoming,” Beyoncé also released a live album where she paid homage to Frankie Beverly by covering the cookout classic, “Before I Let Go.”
What We Know:
- Beverly sat down with Billboard to explain how he’s known and worked with Beyoncé for 20 years. “We met years ago, I think she was in her teens at the time,” he said. He also explained although he’s only worked with her a few times, she’s always been very nice to him.
- Beverly wrote the hit in 1981 during a tough relationship, he said while writing he realized, “it was a situation I had to get out of, but I was in love.” Although the content of the song is sad, by pairing it with an uptempo beat, “Before I Let Go” became a classic that would ring throughout generations.
- Beverly said he was unaware that Beyoncé covered the song until two weeks before it’s release, but when he heard it he was “blown away.” He said the song has been covered many times by others, but her version was truly an upgrade.
- When the song first debuted in 1981, Beverly felt like it was a good song, but he didn’t think it would gain the traction that it did. Almost 40 years later he explains how the cover has made him feel bigger than ever, and ultimately changed his life.
Beverly concluded by expressing his gratitude for Beyoncé, he said “She’s done so much, this is one of the high points of my life.”
