Bob Franke
Encyclopedia
Bob Franke is an American folk
singer/songwriter.
, and performed at The Ark
, a coffeehouse
in Ann Arbor.
After graduating from Michigan in 1969 with a degree in English literature
, he moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts
to attend Episcopal Theological School
. He left school to pursue a musical career, and has lived in New England
ever since, currently residing in Peabody, Massachusetts
.
In addition to his performing career, he teaches songwriting workshops and in 1990, wrote a set of songs for a ballet
based on The Velveteen Rabbit
. In 1999, the young adult novel Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger
, in which Franke's song of the same name features heavily, was published. Many of his songs have been covered by other artists, including Kathy Mattea
, June Tabor
, Garnet Rogers
, Claudia Schmidt
, John McCutcheon
, Peter, Paul and Mary
, and others.
Franke, a liberal Christian
, often covers spiritual
and personal themes in his songwriting. His song "Alleluia, The Great Storm Is Over" was written shortly after his young daughter's orthopedic condition was diagnosed, and he has said that he composed the song while working at a chocolate
factory, and that the rhythm of the song was based on the rhythm of the machines. "Love Bravely, Elizabeth" is addressed to the same daughter, and the songs on his album, The Desert Questions, were written after his divorce. Some of his writing is political: the song "Kristallnacht is Coming" on his album The Heart of the Flower draws parallels between the Holocaust and Americans' attitudes towards immigrants during the 1990s, and "El Niño" (on The Desert Questions) protests Proposition 187.
His 1989 album Brief Histories has as its theme the history of Salem, Massachusetts
, with songs about the witch trials
, the Salem Willows amusement park, and Alexander Graham Bell
.
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
singer/songwriter.
Biography
He began his career in 1965, while a student at the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, and performed at The Ark
Ark (folk venue)
The Ark, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is a nationally known acoustic and folk music venue. It has been in existence in various locations for forty-five years, seats about 400 currently, and features more than 300 live performances each year....
, a coffeehouse
Coffeehouse
A coffeehouse or coffee shop is an establishment which primarily serves prepared coffee or other hot beverages. It shares some of the characteristics of a bar, and some of the characteristics of a restaurant, but it is different from a cafeteria. As the name suggests, coffeehouses focus on...
in Ann Arbor.
After graduating from Michigan in 1969 with a degree in English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
, he moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
to attend Episcopal Theological School
Episcopal Divinity School
The Episcopal Divinity School is a seminary of the Episcopal Church based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Known throughout the Anglican Communion for prophetic teaching and action on issues of civil rights and social justice, its faculty and students have been directly involved in many of the social...
. He left school to pursue a musical career, and has lived in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
ever since, currently residing in Peabody, Massachusetts
Peabody, Massachusetts
Peabody is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population is about 53,000. Peabody is located in Boston's North Shore suburban area.- History :...
.
In addition to his performing career, he teaches songwriting workshops and in 1990, wrote a set of songs for a ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
based on The Velveteen Rabbit
The Velveteen Rabbit
The Velveteen Rabbit or How Toys Become Real is a children's novel written by Margery Williams and illustrated by William Nicholson. It chronicles the story of a stuffed rabbit and his quest to become real through the love of his owner. The book was first published in 1922 and has been republished...
. In 1999, the young adult novel Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger
Ellen Wittlinger
Ellen Wittlinger is an author for young adults, including Gracie's Girl and the Printz Honor book Hard Love.- Biography :...
, in which Franke's song of the same name features heavily, was published. Many of his songs have been covered by other artists, including Kathy Mattea
Kathy Mattea
Kathleen Alice "Kathy" Mattea is an American country music and bluegrass performer who often brings folk, Celtic and traditional country sounds to her music. Active since 1983 as a recording artist, she has recorded seventeen albums and has charted more than thirty singles on the Billboard Hot...
, June Tabor
June Tabor
June Tabor is an English folk singer.- Early years :June Tabor was inspired to sing by hearing Anne Briggs' EP Hazards of Love in 1965. "I went and locked myself in the bathroom for a fortnight and drove my mother mad. I learned the songs on that EP note for note, twiddle for twiddle. That's how I...
, Garnet Rogers
Garnet Rogers
Garnet Rogers is a Canadian folk musician, singer, songwriter and composer. He began his professional career working with his brother, folk musician Stan Rogers, and arranging Stan's music.-Career:...
, Claudia Schmidt
Claudia Schmidt
Claudia Schmidt is a musician, originally from New Baltimore, Michigan, who has recorded folk, jazz, blues, and spoken word albums. She plays guitar and Appalachian dulcimer and sings. She has appeared numerous times on the radio program, A Prairie Home Companion. She has recorded with Paul...
, John McCutcheon
John McCutcheon
John McCutcheon is an American folk music singer and multi-instrumentalist who has produced 34 albums since the 1970s. He is regarded as a master of the hammered dulcimer, and is also proficient on many other instruments including guitar, banjo, autoharp, mountain dulcimer, fiddle, and...
, Peter, Paul and Mary
Peter, Paul and Mary
Peter, Paul and Mary were an American folk-singing trio whose nearly 50-year career began with their rise to become a paradigm for 1960s folk music. The trio was composed of Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey and Mary Travers...
, and others.
Franke, a liberal Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
, often covers spiritual
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
and personal themes in his songwriting. His song "Alleluia, The Great Storm Is Over" was written shortly after his young daughter's orthopedic condition was diagnosed, and he has said that he composed the song while working at a chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
factory, and that the rhythm of the song was based on the rhythm of the machines. "Love Bravely, Elizabeth" is addressed to the same daughter, and the songs on his album, The Desert Questions, were written after his divorce. Some of his writing is political: the song "Kristallnacht is Coming" on his album The Heart of the Flower draws parallels between the Holocaust and Americans' attitudes towards immigrants during the 1990s, and "El Niño" (on The Desert Questions) protests Proposition 187.
His 1989 album Brief Histories has as its theme the history of Salem, Massachusetts
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
, with songs about the witch trials
Salem witch trials
The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings before county court trials to prosecute people accused of witchcraft in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Middlesex in colonial Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693...
, the Salem Willows amusement park, and Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell was an eminent scientist, inventor, engineer and innovator who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone....
.
Discography
- Love Can't Be Bitter All the Time (1976) (out of print)
- One Evening in Chicago (1983)
- For Real (1986)
- Brief Histories (1989)
- In This Night (1991)
- The Heart of the Flower (1995)
- Long Roads, Short Visits (1997)
- The Desert Questions (2001)
- The Other Evening in Chicago (2005)