Frank Fafara
Encyclopedia
Frank Fafara was a teen rocker in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Phoenix, Arizona
, where he achieved regional fame.
In the late 1950s, Frank and his school friend and lead guitar
ist Richard Meyer
started out playing for high school rallies. Their popularity soon came to the attention of Arizona Republic
music columnist Jack Curtis
, who set up their first recording session. The original recording included Richard Meyer on lead guitar, Jim Schultz on drums, Frank on rhythm guitar
, and Al Casey
on bass.
Fafara had a string of successful Rock ‘n Roll releases in Arizona from 1959 to 1964. His first recording, “Only in My Dreams” went to #5 on the Phoenix Top Ten radio charts.KRIZ Official Survey Songs of the Week, April 16, 1960(listing "Only In My Dreams" at #5, document hosted on comstockrecords.com)Curtis, Jack. Fafara realizes a 'dream' with 60's hit, Jack Curtis Presents Let The Good Times Roll, December 2009 A series of releases followed including “Miss You Dee”, “Lovemaker, Lovebreaker” and “Golden One”. F rank Fafara recorded at the same studio as Duane Eddy
, Waylon Jennings
, Sanford Clark, and Wayne Newton
. Cashbox’s national review
noted that “Fafara has something of the late Buddy Holly
in his light beat delivery”. Billboard Magazine
gave him their highest 3 star rating.
Frank Fafara performed shows across Arizona with other top rockers of his day including the Everly Brothers
, Conway Twitty
, Brenda Lee
and Del Shannon
. He also appeared regularly at Stage 7, a popular Phoenix teen club. Frank appeared as a regular on KPHO
’s Saturday night TV show Teen Beat
, as well as performing on the famous Wallace & Ladmo TV show. On television, Frank was usually backed up by lead guitarist Mike Condello & the Stage 7 combo, while other shows normally featured Bob Knisley or Fred Allard on lead guitar.
In the 2000s, Fafara’s masters were found along with others at Audio Recorders, the studio which made Phoenix a major recording hub during the fifties & sixties. Frank wrote all of his songs and they were put out on MCI Records and Mascot Records. The songs were leased to Del-Fi Records, the same label as Richie Valens
, but were never released nationally. In 2006, all the original Phoenix recordings from 1959 - 1964 of Fafara were completely digitized and released on a CD titled Only In My Dreams.
Around the late 1970s, Fafara founded Comstock Records (generally known then as "Frank Fara").
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, where he achieved regional fame.
In the late 1950s, Frank and his school friend and lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
ist Richard Meyer
Richard Meyer
Richard Meyer is the name of:* Richard Meyer , Swiss record producer and songwriter* Richard Meyer , a character in the Fatal Fury fighting video games...
started out playing for high school rallies. Their popularity soon came to the attention of Arizona Republic
The Arizona Republic
The Arizona Republic is a daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. It was ranked tenth in US daily newspapers by circulation in 2007.-Early years:The newspaper was founded...
music columnist Jack Curtis
Jack Curtis
Jack Curtis Jr. was born to Vaudevilee Dancer Mabel Ford and agent Jack Curtis Sr. in New York on June 16, 1926. He started voice acting as a teenager in the 1940s, performing in a myriad of radio shows, including "Coast to Coast on a Bus", where he first met Peter Fernandez. In 1962, he made the...
, who set up their first recording session. The original recording included Richard Meyer on lead guitar, Jim Schultz on drums, Frank on rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, and Al Casey
Al Casey
Albert Aloysius Casey known professional as Al Casey, was an African American swing guitarist who played with Fats Waller on some of his famous recordings. Casey composed the well known tune Buck Jumpin which was recorded by Waller.Casey was born in Louisville, Kentucky to Joseph and Maggie B....
on bass.
Fafara had a string of successful Rock ‘n Roll releases in Arizona from 1959 to 1964. His first recording, “Only in My Dreams” went to #5 on the Phoenix Top Ten radio charts.KRIZ Official Survey Songs of the Week, April 16, 1960(listing "Only In My Dreams" at #5, document hosted on comstockrecords.com)Curtis, Jack. Fafara realizes a 'dream' with 60's hit, Jack Curtis Presents Let The Good Times Roll, December 2009 A series of releases followed including “Miss You Dee”, “Lovemaker, Lovebreaker” and “Golden One”. F rank Fafara recorded at the same studio as Duane Eddy
Duane Eddy
Duane Eddy is a Grammy Award-winning American guitarist. In the late 1950s and early 1960s he had a string of hit records, produced by Lee Hazlewood, which were noted for their characteristically "twangy" sound, including "Rebel Rouser", "Peter Gunn", and "Because They're Young"...
, Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
, Sanford Clark, and Wayne Newton
Wayne Newton
Wayne Newton is an American singer and entertainer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He performed over 30,000 solo shows in Las Vegas over a period of over 40 years, earning him the nicknames The Midnight Idol, Mr. Las Vegas and Mr. Entertainment...
. Cashbox’s national review
National Review
National Review is a biweekly magazine founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955 and based in New York City. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."Although the print version of the...
noted that “Fafara has something of the late Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
in his light beat delivery”. Billboard Magazine
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
gave him their highest 3 star rating.
Frank Fafara performed shows across Arizona with other top rockers of his day including the Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers are country-influenced rock and roll performers, known for steel-string guitar playing and close harmony singing...
, Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty , born Harold Lloyd Jenkins, was an American country music artist. He also had success in early rock and roll, R&B, and pop music. He held the record for the most number one singles of any act with 55 No. 1 Billboard country hits until George Strait broke the record in 2006...
, Brenda Lee
Brenda Lee
Brenda Mae Tarpley , known as Brenda Lee, is an American performer who sang rockabilly, pop and country music, and had 37 US chart hits during the 1960s, a number surpassed only by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Ray Charles and Connie Francis...
and Del Shannon
Del Shannon
Del Shannon was an American rock and roll singer-songwriter who had a No. 1 hit, "Runaway", in 1961.- Biography :...
. He also appeared regularly at Stage 7, a popular Phoenix teen club. Frank appeared as a regular on KPHO
KPHO-TV
KPHO-TV, channel 5, is a CBS-affiliate television station located in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. KPHO-TV is owned by the Meredith Corporation, and has its studios located on Black Canyon Highway in the Alhambra Village section of Phoenix, with its transmitter located on South Mountain in Phoenix...
’s Saturday night TV show Teen Beat
Teen Beat
Teen Beat was an American magazine geared towards teenaged readers.First published in August 1976, the magazine was preceded by sister publications 16 Magazine, published in 1956, and Tiger Beat, which was first published in 1965...
, as well as performing on the famous Wallace & Ladmo TV show. On television, Frank was usually backed up by lead guitarist Mike Condello & the Stage 7 combo, while other shows normally featured Bob Knisley or Fred Allard on lead guitar.
In the 2000s, Fafara’s masters were found along with others at Audio Recorders, the studio which made Phoenix a major recording hub during the fifties & sixties. Frank wrote all of his songs and they were put out on MCI Records and Mascot Records. The songs were leased to Del-Fi Records, the same label as Richie Valens
Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens was a Mexican-American singer, songwriter and guitarist....
, but were never released nationally. In 2006, all the original Phoenix recordings from 1959 - 1964 of Fafara were completely digitized and released on a CD titled Only In My Dreams.
Around the late 1970s, Fafara founded Comstock Records (generally known then as "Frank Fara").