Fran Frey

Last updated

Fran Frey (December 23, 1903 in Indiana - December 1, 1962 in California) was a singer [1] [2] and saxophonist best known for his work for George Olsen and His Music in the 1920s and early 1930s. [3] Among his better known songs are "The Varsity Drag" of 1927; [4] "Big City Blues" of 1929, and "A Garden in the Rain", also of 1929. Frey sang on 77 songs with the George Olsen band on recordings and on the radio. [5] "Who?" sold more than a million copies. [6] [7]

Frey was heard on the Oldsmobile Program on CBS radio in 1933. [8]

Although he played for several other bands after Olsen's, including Victor Young's, [9] he never achieved the level of fame he had in earlier years. [10] [11]

Frey died of a heart attack in his home on December 2, 1962, at the age of 58. At the time of his death, he was writing music for the Ice Capades and for Columbia Pictures. [12] [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jelly Roll Morton</span> American ragtime and jazz musician (1890–1941)

Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe, known professionally as Jelly Roll Morton, was an American ragtime and jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer of Louisiana Creole descent. Morton was jazz's first arranger, proving that a genre rooted in improvisation could retain its essential characteristics when notated. His composition "Jelly Roll Blues", published in 1915, was one of the first published jazz compositions. He also claimed to have invented the genre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delta blues</span> Early style of blues music

Delta blues is one of the earliest-known styles of blues. It originated in the Mississippi Delta and is regarded as a regional variant of country blues. Guitar and harmonica are its dominant instruments; slide guitar is a hallmark of the style. Vocal styles in Delta blues range from introspective and soulful to passionate and fiery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mildred Bailey</span> Native American jazz singer (1907–1951)

Mildred Bailey was a Native American jazz singer during the 1930s, known as "The Queen of Swing", "The Rockin' Chair Lady", and "Mrs. Swing". She recorded the songs "For Sentimental Reasons", "It's So Peaceful in the Country", "Doin' The Uptown Lowdown", "Trust in Me", "Where Are You?", "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart", "Small Fry", "Please Be Kind", "Darn That Dream", "Rockin' Chair", "Blame It on My Last Affair", and "Says My Heart". She had three records that reached number one on the popular charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Henley</span> American musician (born 1947)

Donald Hugh Henley is an American musician who is a founding member of the rock band Eagles, for whom he is the drummer and co-lead vocalist, as well as the sole continuous member of the band. Henley sang the lead vocals on Eagles songs such as "Witchy Woman", "Desperado", "Best of My Love", "One of These Nights", "Hotel California", "Life in the Fast Lane", "Victim of Love", "The Last Resort", "The Long Run", and "Get Over It".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Chatmon</span> American Delta blues musician (1897–1983)

Vivian "Sam" Chatmon was a Delta blues guitarist and singer who was a member of the Mississippi Sheiks.

<i>Eagles</i> (album) 1972 studio album by the Eagles

Eagles is the debut studio album by American rock band the Eagles. The album was recorded at London's Olympic Studios with producer Glyn Johns and released on June 1, 1972, by Asylum Records. It was an immediate success for the then-new band, reaching No. 22 on the Billboard 200 and achieving a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Three singles were released from the album, each reaching the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100: "Take It Easy", "Witchy Woman", and "Peaceful Easy Feeling". The band, starting with this album, played a major role in popularizing the country rock sound.

<i>One of These Nights</i> 1975 studio album by the Eagles

One of These Nights is the fourth studio album by American rock band the Eagles, released on June 10, 1975. The album was the band's commercial breakthrough, transforming them into international superstars. In July that year, the record became the Eagles' first number one album on Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart, yielding three Top 10 singles: "One of These Nights", "Lyin' Eyes" and "Take It to the Limit". Its title song is the group's second number one single on the Billboard Hot 100. The album sold four million copies and received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. A single from the album, "Lyin' Eyes", was also nominated for Record of the Year, and won the Eagles' first Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 18th Annual Grammy Awards in 1976. The band embarked on the worldwide One of These Nights tour to promote the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Olsen</span> American drummer

George Edward Olsen Sr. was an American musician and bandleader.

The Memphis Jug Band was an American musical group active from the mid-1920s to the late-1950s. The band featured harmonica, kazoo, fiddle and mandolin or banjolin, backed by guitar, piano, washboard, washtub bass and jug. They played slow blues, pop songs, humorous songs and upbeat dance numbers with jazz and string band flavors. The band made the first commercial recordings in Memphis, Tennessee, and recorded more sides than any other prewar jug band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homesick James</span> American blues musician

Homesick James was an American blues musician known for his mastery of the slide guitar. He worked with his cousin, Elmore James, and with Sonny Boy Williamson II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matchbox (song)</span> Original song written and composed by Carl Perkins

"Matchbox" is a song written and recorded by Carl Perkins and released in 1957. Blind Lemon Jefferson wrote and recorded a song entitled "Match Box Blues" in 1927, which is musically different but which contains some lyric phrases in common.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tampa Red</span> American blues musician

Hudson Whittaker, known as Tampa Red, was an American Chicago blues musician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leonard Feather</span> British musician, producer, and writer

Leonard Geoffrey Feather was a British-born jazz pianist, composer, and producer, who was best known for his music journalism and other writing.

"I'm Gettin' Sentimental over You" is a 1932 song first released by the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra. It was recorded by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra in 1935, becoming his theme song. The lyrics were written by Ned Washington and the music was by George Bassman. It was first released in 1932 by the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra with Jean Bowes on vocals on Brunswick Records. The orchestra re-recorded it in August 1934 with Bob Crosby on vocals for Decca Records. The original copyright is dated 1933 and issued to Lawrence Music Publishers, Inc. The copyright was assigned to Mills Music, Inc. in 1934. Noni Bernardi, a saxophonist with the Dorsey orchestra arranged this song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will Shade</span> Musical artist

William Shade Jr. was a Memphis blues musician, best known for his leadership of the Memphis Jug Band. He was commonly called Son Brimmer, a nickname from his grandmother Annie Brimmer. The name apparently stuck when other members of the band noticed that the sun bothered him and he used the brim of a hat to shade his eyes.

Irving "Babe" Russin was an American tenor saxophone player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lyin' Eyes</span> 1975 song by the Eagles

"Lyin' Eyes" is a song written by Don Henley and Glenn Frey and recorded in 1975 by the American rock band Eagles, with Frey singing lead vocals. It was the second single from their album One of These Nights, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 8 on the Billboard Country chart. It remained their only top 40 country hit until "How Long" in 2007–2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James "Stump" Johnson</span> Musical artist

James "Stump" Johnson was an American blues pianist and singer from St. Louis.

References

  1. ↑ Benjamin D. Brotemarkle (2004). Titusville and Mims. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 59–. ISBN   978-0-7385-1618-9.
  2. ↑ Fred W. Edmiston (8 January 2003). The Coon-Sanders Nighthawks: "The Band That Made Radio Famous". McFarland. pp. 89–. ISBN   978-0-7864-4327-7.
  3. ↑ Leo Walker (1989). The Big Band Almanac . Da Capo Press. pp.  326–. ISBN   978-0-306-80345-1.
  4. ↑ Dunning, John (1998). "Band Remotes". On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 61. ISBN   978-0-19-507678-3 . Retrieved 2019-10-18.
  5. ↑ Phil Hardy (1995). The Da Capo Companion to 20th-century Popular Music. Da Capo Press. ISBN   978-0-306-80640-7.
  6. ↑ Marvin E. Paymer; Don E. Post (1999). Sentimental Journey: Intimate Portraits of America's Great Popular Songs, 1920-1945. Noble House Publishers. pp. 83–. ISBN   978-1-881907-09-1.
  7. ↑ Joseph Murrells (31 December 1984). Million selling records from the 1900s to the 1980s: an illustrated directory. Batsford. p. 21. ISBN   978-0-7134-3843-7.
  8. ↑ "Backstage" (PDF). Radio News. XIV (10): 635. April 1933. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  9. ↑ Record Research. Record research. 1976. p. 64.
  10. ↑ "Fran Frey | Biography & History".
  11. ↑ George Thomas Simon (1981). The big bands . Schirmer Books. p.  499. ISBN   978-0-02-872420-1.
  12. ↑ Los Angeles Times, 12/8/1962 Obituaries
  13. ↑ Lists dates of birth and death. Ancestry.com. Accessed July 13, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.