Keith Beaton was a singer with the Philadelphia soul group Blue Magic, known for hits including “Sideshow.”
Blue Magic
Beaton was a founding member of Shades of Love, the group that became Blue Magic in 1972. Singing tenor, Baton contributed to hits including 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.” Beaton was one of only two group members to remain with Blue Magic through the ’80s, recording with members of Earth, Wind & Fire as other founding members left the group, and he continued to perform with Blue Magic throughout his life. He was the second founding member of Blue Magic to die, after Richard Pratt’s death last year.
