Frank Agnew

Last updated
Frank Agnew
Birth nameFrancis Thomas Agnew
Born (1964-08-18) August 18, 1964 (age 59)
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Instrument(s)
  • Guitar
  • vocals
  • keyboards
  • bass guitar
  • drums
  • percussion
Years active1980–present
Labels Frontier
Formerly of

Francis Thomas "Frank" Agnew (born August 18, 1964) [1] is an American guitarist and songwriter, best known for being a member of punk rock band the Adolescents. Frank's brothers Rikk Agnew and Alfie Agnew, as well as his son Frank Agnew Jr., are also former Adolescents guitarists.

Contents

Early life

Frank Agnew was born into a musical family, half Irish and half Mexican-American. In 1972, his parents moved from La Puente to Fullerton, California. [2] He began playing guitar professionally at an early age, and his brother Rikk sometimes had to sneak him in through the back door of 18 plus or 21 plus venues. [3]

Agnew dropped out of high school, but later pursued a liberal arts degree at Fullerton College. [4] After finishing his studies, he went to work in the computer industry. [5]

Music career

Over the years, Agnew has played with a number of bands, including 45 Grave, the Tribe, Adolescents, Der Stab, HVY DRT, Legal Weapon, PinUps, Casey Royer's Social Distortion splinter group, and T.S.O.L. [6]

Agnew joined The Adolescents in 1980 after playing in Casey Royer's Social Distortion splinter group. [7] When the Adolescents broke up in the summer of 1981, Agnew joined Legal Weapon with fellow Adolescent Steve Soto, and then played as a touring guitarist with T.S.O.L. to promote their Dance With Me album. Agnew reunited with the "Blue Album" line-up of the Adolescents in 1986, but left along with drummer Casey Royer before the recording of the 1987 Brats in Battalions album. Agnew returned to play guitar for two tracks on the Adolescents' 1988 Balboa Fun*Zone album, but he did not permanently rejoin the band. Agnew took part in another Adolescents reunion in 2004 and was the sole guitarist on the resulting O.C. Confidential album.

In 2010, Agnew joined 45 Grave, proceeding to take part in the recording of the band's 2012 Pick Your Poison album, released on Frontier Records. In 2013, Frank Agnew met The Voice's Bree Fondacaro, then performing under the stage name Bree Harlow [8] Bree and Frank collaborated on her 2013 cover of 'Paint it Black' released through Arcadian Records. This began a successful collaboration with Bree Fondacaro in a band called the Fatalists. [9]

Agnew is credited as songwriter on a number of film soundtracks and also occasionally appears as an actor. [1]

Personal life

Agnew has two older siblings, Rikk and Toni (sister), and a younger brother, Alfie. He also has a half-brother, Jim, and a half-sister, Beverly, who are both older than Rikk. [3] He has a son, Frank Agnew Jr.

Related Research Articles

Dennis Eric Danell (June 24, 1961 – February 29, 2000) was an American musician, guitarist and co-founding member of the Southern California punk rock band Social Distortion.

The Adolescents are an American punk rock band formed in Fullerton, California in 1979. Part of the hardcore punk movement in southern California in the early 1980s, they were one of the main punk acts to emerge from Orange County, along with their peers in Agent Orange and Social Distortion. Founding bassist Steve Soto was the sole constant member of the band since its inception until his 2018 death, with singer Tony Reflex being in the group for all but one album.

<i>Adolescents</i> (album) 1981 studio album by the Adolescents

Adolescents, also known as The Blue Album due to its cover design, is the debut studio album by American punk rock band the Adolescents, released in April 1981 on Frontier Records. Recorded after guitarist Rikk Agnew and drummer Casey Royer joined the band, it features several songs written for their prior group, the Detours, including "Kids of the Black Hole" and "Amoeba", which became two of the Adolescents' most well-known songs. Adolescents was one of the first hardcore punk albums to be widely distributed throughout the United States, and became one of the best-selling California hardcore albums of its time. The band never toured in support of it, and broke up four months after its release. The Blue Album lineup of Agnew, Royer, guitarist Frank Agnew, bassist Steve Soto and singer Tony Brandenburg reunited several times in subsequent years, but only for brief periods.

D.I. is an American punk rock band formed in 1981 in Fullerton, California. It was founded by vocalist and primary songwriter Casey Royer, after previously playing drums in the bands Adolescents and Social Distortion.

<i>Brats in Battalions</i> 1987 studio album by the Adolescents

Brats in Battalions is the second studio album by the American punk rock band the Adolescents, released in August 1987 on SOS Records, the band's independent record label. It followed a reunion of the band after a five-year breakup, and subsequent lineup changes which saw drummer Casey Royer and original guitarist Frank Agnew replaced, respectively, by Sandy Hanson of the Mechanics and by Agnew's younger brother, Alfie Agnew. Brats in Battalions explores several styles of punk rock and features new recordings of all three songs from 1981's Welcome to Reality EP, as well as cover versions of the traditional folk song "The House of the Rising Sun" and the Stooges' "I Got a Right". Singer Tony Brandenburg left the band after this album, and the Adolescents recorded one more album without him, 1988's Balboa Fun*Zone, before breaking up for another 12 years.

<i>Return to the Black Hole</i> 1997 live album by the Adolescents

Return to the Black Hole is a live album by the American punk rock band the Adolescents, released in September 1997 on Amsterdamned Records. It was recorded in December 1989 during a reunion performance by the band's 1980–81 lineup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rikk Agnew</span> American musician

Richard Francis "Rikk" Agnew Jr. is an American musician with a career spanning more than 40 years. He has previously been a member of some of the most influential bands of the Orange County hardcore punk genre, as well as the influential deathrock band Christian Death. During his years with the Adolescents, Agnew became known as one of the best guitarists in the Southern California hardcore punk scene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casey Royer</span> American singer and drummer

Casey A. Royer, is an American musician and an early pioneer of the hardcore punk rock genre in Orange County. He named and formed the band Social Distortion as a teenager. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Royer is best known as the lead vocalist for Southern Californian punk rock band D.I. and as a drummer for the Adolescents.

<i>Ancient Artifacts</i> 1985 studio album by D.I.

Ancient Artifacts is D.I.'s first full-length studio album, which was released in 1985. "Hang Ten in East Berlin" and "Spiritual Law" were later re-recorded on the band's second album, Horse Bites Dog Cries, which was released in 1986. "O.C. Life" was later covered by Zebrahead, which was a bonus track for the Orange County OST and The Offspring as a bonus track for their Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace album. O.C. Life was originally written by Rikk Agnew of the Adolescents and appeared on his solo album All By Myself in 1982.

<i>Horse Bites Dog Cries</i> 1986 studio album by D.I.

Horse Bites Dog Cries is the second studio album by the American punk rock band D.I. It was originally released in 1986, on the label Reject. The album was recorded at Casbah Studios in Fullerton, California in 1985 with Chaz Ramirez. Due to a typo on the album itself, many fans believe that it was released in 1985, but this appears to be false because its release was delayed until 1986 to avoid confusion with the band's then-current album Ancient Artifacts. Horse Bites Dog Cries was the final album featuring the Agnew brothers and drummer John Knight.

<i>Balboa Fun*Zone</i> 1988 studio album by the Adolescents

Balboa Fun*Zone is the third studio album by the American punk rock band the Adolescents, released in 1988 on Triple X Records. Titled after the Balboa Fun Zone amusement area of Balboa Peninsula, Newport Beach, it is the band's only album recorded without singer Tony Brandenburg, who had left the group the prior year. Electing not to replace him, guitarist Rikk Agnew and bassist Steve Soto alternated lead vocals on Balboa Fun*Zone. The album also features the return of original Adolescents guitarist Frank Agnew, who had been absent from their prior album, 1987's Brats in Battalions. Balboa Fun*Zone is also the final Adolescents studio album to include Rikk Agnew and drummer Sandy Hanson. The band broke up in April 1989, reuniting in later years with different lineups.

<i>OC Confidential</i> 2005 studio album by the Adolescents

OC Confidential is the fourth studio album by the American punk rock band the Adolescents, released in July 2005 on Finger Records. It was their first studio album since 1988, and followed their reunion in 2001 after a twelve-year breakup. The album features founding band members Tony Reflex, Frank Agnew, and Steve Soto, joined by drummer Derek O'Brien. It was the final Adolescents album to include Agnew, and their only studio album with O'Brien.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfie Agnew</span> American songwriter

Alfonso F. "Alfie" Agnew is an American mathematician, singer, musician and songwriter. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Agnew is best known for being a member of the punk bands the Adolescents and D.I. as well as the group Professor and the Madman. Alfie's brothers Rikk Agnew and Frank Agnew are also former Adolescents guitarists.

The discography of the Adolescents, a Southern California-based punk rock band, consists of eleven studio albums, three live albums, one compilation album, six EPs, two singles, and one video album.

<i>Welcome to Reality</i> (EP) 1981 EP by the Adolescents

Welcome to Reality is an EP by the American punk rock band the Adolescents, released in October 1981 on Frontier Records. Recorded after guitarist Rikk Agnew left the group, it was their only release recorded with guitarist Steve Roberts. The band broke up in August 1981, and when the EP was released two months later it was not well received. When the Adolescents re-formed five years later, a new lineup re-recorded all three songs from Welcome to Reality for their reunion album, 1987's Brats in Battalions.

<i>Live 1981 & 1986</i> Album by Adolescents

Live 1981 & 1986 is a live album by the American punk rock band the Adolescents, released in 1989 on Triple X Records. It consists of live performances recorded during the band's original 1980–81 run and during their 1986 reunion.

<i>Live at the House of Blues</i> (Adolescents album) 2004 live album and concert film by the Adolescents

Live at the House of Blues is a live album and concert film by the American punk rock band the Adolescents, released in February 2004 on Kung Fu Records as part of the label's The Show Must Go Off! series. It marked a reunion of the band after a twelve-year breakup, and features songs from their original 1980–81 run and from their then-upcoming reunion album OC Confidential (2005).

<i>The Complete Demos 1980–1986</i> 2005 compilation album by the Adolescents

The Complete Demos 1980–1986 is a compilation album of demo recordings by the American punk rock band the Adolescents, released in March 2005 on Frontier Records. It includes the band's first three demo tapes, recorded between March and July 1980; one outtake from the recording sessions for their 1981 EP Welcome to Reality; and two songs recorded during their 1986 reunion as demos for their second album, Brats in Battalions (1987). The first eight tracks are the only material recorded by the Adolescents' original lineup, which included guitarist John O'Donovan and drummer Peter Pan. The remaining tracks include their replacements Rikk Agnew and Casey Royer.

"Amoeba" is a song by American punk rock band the Adolescents. It is the eighth track on their self-titled debut album Adolescents, released in April 1981 on Frontier Records. It is the band's signature song.

References

  1. 1 2 "Frank Agnew". IMDb . Retrieved 8 Jan 2016.
  2. ↑ Proctor, Susan (7 Aug 2014). "Crash Kills Four Interview" . Retrieved 6 Jan 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Alfie Agnew Speaks". December 2015. Retrieved 8 Jan 2016.
  4. ↑ Lewis, Randy (16 October 1987). "Ex-adolescent Now 'Grandpa' Of The Tribe". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 8 Jan 2016.
  5. ↑ Jackson, Nate (19 June 2014). "Rikk Agnew: Adolescent no more" . Retrieved 8 Jan 2016.
  6. ↑ "Frank Agnew". Discogs . Retrieved 8 Jan 2016.
  7. ↑ "Rikk Agnew & Eric Blair part 2 His youth, Social Distortion and O.C. punk". The Blairing Out with Eric Blair Show. March 23, 2019. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Meet Bree Fondacaro of Team Blake On The Voice". 6 October 2014. Retrieved 6 Oct 2014.
  9. ↑ "The Voice's Bree Fondacaro & Frank Agnew talk w Eric Blair 2014". YouTube . 18 October 2014. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 8 Jan 2016.
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