Frank Loverde
Encyclopedia
Frank Loverde (1947–1990) was an American
disco
singer and musician
active during the 1980s. Based in San Francisco, Loverde worked with record producer Patrick Cowley
on his greatest success; Die Hard Lover, released in 1982.
in 1947. Little is known about his family background, but some time during the early 1970s he relocated to New York City
to take a job as a DJ at the Yellow Fingers nightclub. Loverde continued working at this venue for four years, during this time becoming more interested in music production and playing the guitar
. During the 1970s, Frank met Linda Imperial in St. Louis, Missouri
while working as a guest DJ at a newly opened night club. In the late 1970s, Loverde re-located to San Francisco with partner Dan Straehorn (a dance
choreographer).
and released Iko-Iko, a record produced by Patrick Cowley
and Michael Finden, in 1980. Loverde continued on the club circuit, occasionally working on studio projects, until 1982 when he was given an instrumental track by Patrick Cowley
and asked to write lyrics
for it. This track became "Die Hard Lover", which was recorded along with Linda Imperial and Peggy Gibbons. The trio, now calling themselves Loverde, had huge success with the single in 1982 and became celebrities in the Hi-NRG
music community.
Loverde's second single was "My World Is Empty Without You", another successful release which led to television appearances and a tour. By the time of the single's release, Patrick Cowley
was becoming increasingly ill, suffering from AIDS
, and was unable to contribute anything more than simple synthesizer
riffs. Production credits on the single went to Bill Motley and Horus Jack Tolson. Following Cowley's death in 1982, Loverde were unable to repeat their earlier success with new music produced without his input. They recorded Backstreet Romance in 1983, but the record was a commercial failure. Loverde's last works were "Love Takes Me Higher" and "Manifestation of Love", both released in 1987. After the collapse of Megatone Records
in 1988, Loverde was unable to find a new contract.
virus. The illness had obliterated the music
industry in San Francisco and many of Loverde's acquaintances had already died from the virus. He died just before Christmas
on the 20th of December 1990 at the age of 43.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
singer and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
active during the 1980s. Based in San Francisco, Loverde worked with record producer Patrick Cowley
Patrick Cowley
Patrick Joseph Cowley was an American disco and Hi-NRG dance music composer and recording artist. He recorded in a style that has drawn comparisons to that of Giorgio Moroder and is often credited with pioneering electronic dance music.-Early life:Patrick Cowley was born in Buffalo, New York to...
on his greatest success; Die Hard Lover, released in 1982.
Early life
Loverde was born in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in 1947. Little is known about his family background, but some time during the early 1970s he relocated to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to take a job as a DJ at the Yellow Fingers nightclub. Loverde continued working at this venue for four years, during this time becoming more interested in music production and playing the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
. During the 1970s, Frank met Linda Imperial in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
while working as a guest DJ at a newly opened night club. In the late 1970s, Loverde re-located to San Francisco with partner Dan Straehorn (a dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
choreographer).
Musical career
Working with Linda Imperial and her sister, Loverde made a name for himself on the San Francisco club scene as both a DJ and performer. During this time, the trio gained a record deal with Prism RecordsPrism Records
Prism Records was an American record label formed in 1978 by Len Fichtelberg. It was originally an independent label, focusing on the New York R&B and disco music scene of the day...
and released Iko-Iko, a record produced by Patrick Cowley
Patrick Cowley
Patrick Joseph Cowley was an American disco and Hi-NRG dance music composer and recording artist. He recorded in a style that has drawn comparisons to that of Giorgio Moroder and is often credited with pioneering electronic dance music.-Early life:Patrick Cowley was born in Buffalo, New York to...
and Michael Finden, in 1980. Loverde continued on the club circuit, occasionally working on studio projects, until 1982 when he was given an instrumental track by Patrick Cowley
Patrick Cowley
Patrick Joseph Cowley was an American disco and Hi-NRG dance music composer and recording artist. He recorded in a style that has drawn comparisons to that of Giorgio Moroder and is often credited with pioneering electronic dance music.-Early life:Patrick Cowley was born in Buffalo, New York to...
and asked to write lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
for it. This track became "Die Hard Lover", which was recorded along with Linda Imperial and Peggy Gibbons. The trio, now calling themselves Loverde, had huge success with the single in 1982 and became celebrities in the Hi-NRG
Hi-NRG
Hi-NRG describes a form of high-tempo disco music as well as a genre of electronic dance music originating in the United States during the late 1970s...
music community.
Loverde's second single was "My World Is Empty Without You", another successful release which led to television appearances and a tour. By the time of the single's release, Patrick Cowley
Patrick Cowley
Patrick Joseph Cowley was an American disco and Hi-NRG dance music composer and recording artist. He recorded in a style that has drawn comparisons to that of Giorgio Moroder and is often credited with pioneering electronic dance music.-Early life:Patrick Cowley was born in Buffalo, New York to...
was becoming increasingly ill, suffering from AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
, and was unable to contribute anything more than simple synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
riffs. Production credits on the single went to Bill Motley and Horus Jack Tolson. Following Cowley's death in 1982, Loverde were unable to repeat their earlier success with new music produced without his input. They recorded Backstreet Romance in 1983, but the record was a commercial failure. Loverde's last works were "Love Takes Me Higher" and "Manifestation of Love", both released in 1987. After the collapse of Megatone Records
Megatone Records
Megatone Records was an independent music label created in San Francisco in 1981 by Patrick Cowley and Marty Blecman. The name was derived from Cowley's "Megatron Man". The top artists involved include The Patrick Cowley Singers, Jeanie Tracy, Sylvester, and Paul Parker.Megatone owned 2 sublabels....
in 1988, Loverde was unable to find a new contract.
Death
Sometime in the late 1980s, Frank Loverde contracted the AIDSAIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
virus. The illness had obliterated the music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
industry in San Francisco and many of Loverde's acquaintances had already died from the virus. He died just before Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
on the 20th of December 1990 at the age of 43.