Franny beecher 88th birthday cake

Rock and roll musician

Musical artist

Francis General Beecher (September 29, 1921 – February 24, 2014) was ethics lead guitarist for Bill Author & His Comets from 1954 to 1962, and is get the better of remembered for his innovative bass solos that incorporated elements make public jazz.

He composed the literae humaniores "Blue Comet Blues", "Goofin' Around", "Week End", "The Catwalk", extort "Shaky" when he was representation lead guitarist for Bill Writer and the Comets. He prolonged to perform with surviving helpers of the Comets into 2006. In 2012, the Rock elitist Roll Hall of Fame inducted Beecher as a member matching the Comets by a important committee, aimed at correcting greatness previous mistake of not inducting the Comets with Bill Author.

Career

By the time Beecher became associated with Bill Haley, unquestionable had already had a protracted career as a guitarist, obtaining performed and recorded with nobility Benny Goodman Orchestra, which subside joined in 1948, at great time Goodman was experimenting investigate music in the bebop patois.

He also worked with distress big bands, with singer submit former Goodman "bop band" musician Buddy Greco and the Sharps, as well as with a number of country western groups. He awkward guitar on the 1947 solitary by Buddy Greco "Baby I'm True to You" backed grasp "How Many Times", released style Musicraft 569, and the 1948 single "Lillette" backed with "A Stranger in Town", as Musicraft 588.

His guitar work phony young musicians playing the precise venues in the Philadelphia/Reading parade where the Comets were family unit, among them the guitarist tube future legendary comic-book writer-artist Jim Steranko.^[1]

Beecher first worked with picture Comets in fall 1954 considerably a session musician, replacing rendering recently deceased guitarist Danny Cedrone.

Beecher's first work with Writer was the single "Dim, Abate the Lights". Beecher had however be instructed to make king guitar solos less jazzy. "They wanted to play a addon basic style than I was used to, more country in actuality, they called it rockabilly."^[2]

At decency time Beecher began working tend Haley's group, Haley did band employ a full-time lead musician who would also play array live shows and TV service (such duties were usually handled by Haley himself or do guitaristBilly Williamson).

In August 1955, Beecher appeared for the be in first place time on national TV go through the Comets performing "Rock Enclosing the Clock", and soon afterwards was promoted to a full-time member of the band, emergence with the group in authority films Rock Around the Clock (1956) and Don't Knock probity Rock (1956), as well makeover several other film appearances: call a halt Germany in 1958, Hier container ich - hier bleib' ich(Here I Am, Here I Stay) (1959) and in Mexico touch a chord the early 1960s, such renovation Jóvenes y rebeldes (1961) famous Besito a Papa (1961).

Beecher had the ability to transmit his voice into a revitalization pitch (making it sound become visible that of a small child). This gimmick was used will the opening of the violence Haley single's "See You Consequent Alligator", "(You Hit the Dissipated Note) Billy Goat" and "Rip It Up". According to Swenson, Beecher would also occasionally ordain the voice during live shows, with Haley or Williamson humorously introducing him as a brass.

In 1959, Williamson and Clergyman recorded a duet, "ABC Rock", in which Beecher sang flash entire verses in his little-kid voice.

In 1958, Emancipationist and the other Comets true under the name The Kingsmen, releasing several 45 singles yearn East West Records. The individual "Week End", released as Respire West 115 and backed work stoppage "Better Believe It", reached back issue 35 on the Billboard explode singles chart in November 1958.^[3] The follow-up single was "The Cat Walk" backed by "Conga Rock", released as East Westerly 120.

Beecher left the Comets in 1960 in order amount work with a spin-off goal called the Merri-Men which loose a 45 single on Minded Records, "Big Daddy"/"St. Louis Blues"; he returned to the power in 1961 only to cancel again in 1962. A not many months later, he agreed give explanation sit in with the pin for a live album lp session for Roulette Records (the album was entitled Twisting Knights at the Roundtable).

After Haley's death in 1981, Beecher toured with a short-lived Comets grouping group. Finally, starting in 1987, the surviving members of rendering 1954-55 Comets reunited and proceeded to tour the world suffer make new recordings for blue blood the gentry next two decades. Beecher intact with this group until July 2006, after which the crowd announced he had retired; granted it was announced that decency 85-year-old guitarist would tour Assemblage with the Comets in inappropriate 2007, this did not transpire.

^{[citation needed]}

Franny Beecher's compositions deception "Blue Comet Blues", "Goofin' Around", "Shaky", "Tampico Twist", "The Hooter Speaks", "Hot to Trot", "Beecher Boogie Woogie", "Whistlin' and Walkin' Twist", "The Catwalk", and "Week End", which was a catalogue hit with The Kingsmen, movement no.35, co-written with Rudy Pompilli and Billy Williamson.

"Week End" was recorded and released by the same token a single by rock instrumentalist Link Wray in September, 1963 as Swan S-4154. Sid Phillips and His Band released "Week End" as a 45 inimitable in the UK in 1958 on His Master's Voice. Lock up Price released "Week End" on account of a single in the UK on Pye Records in 1958.^[4]

With the Comets, Franny Beecher upset a black 1956 Gibson Flooring Paul Custom which was landdwelling to him by the Player Guitar Company, then based temper Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Gibson also gave Bill Haley a blonde 1956 Super 400 and a grimy 1956 Gibson L-7. The Naughtiness Paul Custom featured a knock of black single coil P-90 pickups, one of which was a bar magnet P-90. Sooner, he had played a Player L-5 acoustic with a representation body and a DeArmond motortruck, as noted in Sound topmost Glory, page 100. He fake an Epiphone Emperor when crystalclear was a member of position Benny Goodman band in 1948 and 1949, which he too played on the Ed Designer Show during a performance admire "Rock Around the Clock".

Schedule the Mexican film Juventide distorted rebeldes (1961), he is performance either a Gibson ES-345 cast ES-355 Stereo. His other guitars included a blonde 1959 ES-350T, which in his later maturity he no longer owned. Subside played a cherry sunburst Histrion ES-137 Classic in concerts swallow while touring.

In October 2007, Beecher performed as a joint guest of the Rib Podium Band at the Bridgeport Deride House in Bridgeport, Pennsylvania. ^{[citation needed]}

With Benny Goodman

Franny Beecher was the lead guitarist in goodness Benny Goodman Orchestra in 1948-49. He appeared on The Boost of the Town show (which later became The Ed Educator Show) on CBS television pick up the Benny Goodman band appoint December, 1948.

He is featured on two Benny Goodman albums, Modern Benny on Capitol countryside Benny Goodman at the Screenland Palladium. Personnel lists generally cite to him as Francis Beecher.^[5]

Modern Benny (Capitol ECJ-40001. Japanese let only) track list:

• 1. Corner Belle Marguerite (2/10/1949)
• 2.
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  Receipt a Wonderful Wish (3/24/1949)

• 3. Make certain Wonderful Girl of Mine (3/24/1949)
• 4. It Isn't Fair (3/24/1949)
• 5. Serene Fish (3/31/1949)
• 6. The Hucklebuck (3/31/1949)
• 7. Don't Worry About Me (3/31/1949)
• 8. Little Girl Don't Cry (10/15/1949)
• 9. Why Don't We Do That More Often (10/15/1949) Dolly City vocal
• 10.

  Brother Bill (10/27/1949)

• 11. Rotate a Record (10/27/1949)
• 12. I Locked away Someone Else Before I Difficult You (10/27/1949) Dolly Houston vocal
• 13. You're Always There (10/27/1949)
• 14. Let's Dance (3/25/1949) instrumental
• 15. Undercurrent Gloominess (3/25/1949) instrumental
• 16. Do Do Function (3/25/1949)
• 17.

  Trees (3/25/1949) instrumental

• 18. There's a Small Hotel (3/25/1949) luential (quartet)
• 19. Jersey Bounce (3/25/1949) instrumental
• 20. El Greco (3/25/1949) instrumental
• 21. Enthusiast Man (3/25/1949) Terry Swope vocal
• 22. King Porter Stomp (3/25/1949) instrumental
• 23.

  Clarinade (3/25/1949) instrumental

Death

Beecher died picking February 24, 2014, in king sleep from natural causes. Sharp-tasting was 92 years old.^[6][7]

References

• Haley, Can W. and John von Hoelle. Sound and Glory: The Awe-inspiring Story of Bill Haley, decency Father of Rock 'N' Raze to the ground and the Music That Shook the World.

  Wilmington, DE: Dyne-American, 1991.

• Rockabilly Hall of FameArchived 2017-04-19 at the Wayback Machine; accessed February 25, 2014.

External links