Beyonce’s cover of Maze’s ‘Before I Let Go’ is one of the "high points" of original singer Frankie Beverly’s life.
The ‘Formation’ hitmaker recorded her rendition of the American R&B group’s 1981 classic for the end credits of her Netflix documentary ‘Homecoming’ and the live album of the same name.
Frankie – who formed the group in the 70s – was "blown away" by the 37-year-old superstar’s version and called it a "blessing".
He gushed: "This is one of the high points of my life."
The 72-year-old musician also revealed that he only got told about the song "a week or two" before it was released.
He added to Billboard: "She kept it quiet, until her people called me one day maybe a week or two ago.
"When they played it, that’s when I heard the first draft of it, and I was blown away. It’s a blessing."
The film documents the singer’s journey to becoming the first black female solo artist to headline Coachella, and also features the ‘Crazy in Love’ hitmaker’s show-stopping three-song reunion with her Destiny’s Child bandmates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, comprised of ‘Lose My Breath’, ‘Say My Name’ and ‘Soldier’, recorded live at the world famous festival.
Speaking about the film, Beyonce said: "’Homecoming’ presents an intimate look at Beyoncé’s historic 2018 Coachella performance that paid homage to America’s historically black colleges and universities. ‘Interspersed with candid footage and interviews detailing the preparation and powerful intent behind her vision, Homecoming traces the emotional road from creative concept to cultural movement."
The ‘Telephone’ hitmaker also included the song ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’, widely known as the black national anthem, in her set, which features her seven-year-old daughter Blue Ivy – whom she has with rapper husband Jay-Z .
The ‘Halo’ singer had previously sung the song to the power couple’s 20-month-old daughter Rumi Carter – who is a twin to Sir Carter.
Speaking about the inclusion of the anthem, she said: "One day I was randomly singing the black national anthem to Rumi while putting her to sleep. I started humming it to her every day.
"In the show at the time I was working on a version of the anthem with these dark minor chords and stomps and belts and screams. After a few days of humming the anthem, I realised I had the melody wrong. I was singing the wrong anthem.
"One of the most rewarding parts of the show was making that change.
"I swear I felt pure joy shining down on us. I know that most of the young people on the stage and in the audience did not know the history of the black national anthem before Coachella.
"But they understood the feeling it gave them.
"It was a celebration of all the people who sacrificed more than we could ever imagine, who moved the world forward so that it could welcome a woman of colour to headline such a festival."
Beyonce’s cover of Before I Let Go hailed as ‘blessing’ by original singer Frankie Beverly
