Biography
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Born
26 February 1944
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Born In
Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee, United States
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Died
18 July 2019 (aged 75)
Bob Frank (Robert Landis Frank, Memphis, Tennessee, February 26, 1944 – July 18, 2019) was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.
His debut self-titled record was issued on Vanguard Records in 1972 to critical acclaim and is a collectors item that was reissued on Light in the Attic in 2014. He has recorded and toured with Memphis singer-songwriter John Murry, shared a stage with Gus Cannon, Jimmy Driftwood, Lightning Hopkins, Tim Buckley and Townes Van Zandt, and was a paid songwriter for Tree Publishing. He lived in El Sobrante, California.
Frank's 20th century version of the late Middle English classic, "A Lytell Geste of Robyn Hode" (Child Ballad #117), released on Bowstring Records in 2001, received rave reviews from English professors, music critics, historians, actors, college professors, school teachers and Oxford dons.
Though not widely known, Frank's songs have earned wide critical acclaim. Jim Dickinson, a producer for Big Star and a Memphis music legend, called Frank "the greatest songwriter you never heard." In Rolling Stone, Senior Editor David Fricke called Frank's debut "beautifully stark" and compared him to Warren Zevon Frank's collaboration with singer/songwriter John Murry on 2006 LP World Without End was praised in the Village Voice, Uncut, Rolling Stone, The Irish Times and The Independent UK. His songs have been recorded by Jim Dickinson, Chris LeDoux, Gary McMahan, and others.
Discography
Albums
Bob Frank (Vanguard Records, 1972)
A Little Gest of Robin Hood (Bowstring Records, 2001)
Keep On Burning (Bowstring Records, 2002)
Pledge of Allegiance (Bowstring Records, 2004)
Ride the Restless Wind (Bowstring Records, 2005)
World Without End (Bowstring Records, 2006; Evangeline - US, Decor - UK, 2007)
The Gunplay EP (Evangeline - US, Decor - UK, 2007)
Red Neck, Blue Collar (Memphis International, 2008)
Brinkley, Arkansas, and Other Assorted Love Songs (Evangeline, 2009)
The Scenic Route (Bowstring Records, 2010)
Twilight in Tolleson (Nomad Records of Tolleson, AZ, 2016)
By the Light of the Lamp (Nomad Records of Tolleson, AZ, 2017)
Squeeze It Easy (Nomad Records of Tolleson, AZ, 2017)
Dancing in Dallas (Nomad Records of Tolleson, AZ, 2018)
Folksinger Bob Frank is a Vietnam veteran from Memphis TN who walked away from the music business for decades after recording a critically acclaimed debut album for Vanguard in 1972. Despite his M.I.A status his reputation as a songwriter held up and his old songs were recorded by other artists, including notably Chris LeDoux. The now Oakland Ca based irrigation specialist and father of four returned to recording in the new millennium after discovering on the internet that his long forgotten early 70's album was an expensive collector's item.
Circa 2000, he began recording again and started his own Bowstring label which self released three new CD's worth of material. Collaborations with John Murry resulted in two new albums of murder ballads released on Murry's Evangeline imprint.
In 2008 Memphis International Records compiled a best of from those three Bowstring albums called Red Neck, Blue Collar.
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