Frankie Ford
Encyclopedia
Frankie Ford is an American
rock and roll
and rhythm and blues
singer.
He is the adopted son of Vincent and Anna Guzzo, who named him Francis Guzzo. He was born in Gretna, Louisiana
, across the Mississippi River
from New Orleans
, where he still lives. Ford had a Top 20 hit
in 1959 with "Sea Cruise
" (b/w "Roberta"), sung to a previously recorded
Huey "Piano" Smith backing track, released on Ace Records
. The record
sold over one million copies, gaining gold disc
status.
Frankie Ford was featured as a stellar singer from New Orleans, on the Southern Stars poster
created by Dianna Chenevert to promote him and historically document his contribution to the music industry. On October 12, 1983 USA Today
reporter Miles White highlighted Ford as one of the famous entertainers on the poster, which helped give him more nationwide attention.
He was known as the "New Orleans Dynamo", and still spends about 200 days a year on the road.
On May 16, 2010, at the Louisiana Music Homecoming in Erwinville, Ford was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
and rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
singer.
He is the adopted son of Vincent and Anna Guzzo, who named him Francis Guzzo. He was born in Gretna, Louisiana
Gretna, Louisiana
The city of Gretna is the parish seat of Jefferson Parish, in the US state of Louisiana. Gretna is on the west bank of the Mississippi River, just east and across the river from uptown New Orleans. It is part of the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, across the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
from New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, where he still lives. Ford had a Top 20 hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
in 1959 with "Sea Cruise
Sea Cruise
-Covers:The song was initially covered by Frankie Ford in 1959, with a top-20 hit, using Smith's original backing track.It was later also covered by:* Herman Hermits covered the song in 1965 on the album Introducing Herman's Hermits....
" (b/w "Roberta"), sung to a previously recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
Huey "Piano" Smith backing track, released on Ace Records
Ace Records (US)
Ace Records was a record label that was started in August 1955 in Jackson, Mississippi by Johnny Vincent, with Teem Records as its budget subsidiary. Ace also had the Vin label. Its records were distributed independently until 1962 when a distribution arrangement was set up with Vee-Jay Records....
. The record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
sold over one million copies, gaining gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
status.
Frankie Ford was featured as a stellar singer from New Orleans, on the Southern Stars poster
Southern Stars Poster
The "Southern Stars" poster included famous Louisiana musicians and was created for a booking agency called Omni Attractions which was based in New Orleans from 1982 to 1994...
created by Dianna Chenevert to promote him and historically document his contribution to the music industry. On October 12, 1983 USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
reporter Miles White highlighted Ford as one of the famous entertainers on the poster, which helped give him more nationwide attention.
He was known as the "New Orleans Dynamo", and still spends about 200 days a year on the road.
On May 16, 2010, at the Louisiana Music Homecoming in Erwinville, Ford was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame
Louisiana Music Hall of Fame
The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame is an IRS certified 501 non-profit organization based in the state capitol of Baton Rouge, La., that seeks to preserve Louisiana's rich music culture and heritage and to further educate its citizens and people worldwide about the state’s unique role contributing...
.