Tillman Franks
Encyclopedia
Tillman Ben Franks was an American
bassist
and songwriter who was also the manager for a number of country music
artists including Johnny Horton
, David Houston
, Webb Pierce
, Claude King
and the Carlisles.
, but at age two, his family relocated to the Shreveport, Louisiana
suburb Cedar Grove.
On April 3, 1948, Franks played bass with the Bailes Brothers on the first night of the Louisiana Hayride
radio broadcast.
During 1955, he became Johnny Horton
's manager, and had him switch record companies from Mercury to Columbia. He was the sole writer of Horton's first No. 1 single, 1959's "When it's Springtime in Alaska (It's Forty Below)". He and Horton were co-composers of "Honky Tonk Man
", Horton's 1956 success
, that Dwight Yoakam
also recorded as his first single. During 1960, Franks co-wrote the successful single "Sink the Bismark" with Horton.
Franks' contribution to rock and roll
music has been recognized by his induction into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame
.
Franks died on October 26, 2006 in Shreveport.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bassist
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
and songwriter who was also the manager for a number of country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artists including Johnny Horton
Johnny Horton
John Gale "Johnny" Horton was an American country music and rockabilly singer most famous for his semi-folk, so-called "saga songs" which began the "historical ballad" craze of the late 1950s and early 1960s...
, David Houston
David Houston (singer)
Charles David Houston was an American country music singer. His peak in popularity came between the mid-1960s through the early 1970s.-Biography:...
, Webb Pierce
Webb Pierce
Webb Michael Pierce was one of the most popular American honky tonk vocalists of the 1950s, charting more number one hits than any other country artist during the decade. His biggest hit was "In The Jailhouse Now," which charted for 37 weeks in 1955, 21 of them at number one...
, Claude King
Claude King
Claude King is an American country music singer and songwriter, best known for his million selling 1962 hit, "Wolverton Mountain".-Biography:...
and the Carlisles.
Biography
Franks was born in Stamps, ArkansasStamps, Arkansas
Stamps is a city in Lafayette County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 2,131 at the 2000 census.Stamps was the shop headquarters for the former Louisiana and Arkansas Railway until the relocation in the early 1920s to Minden, Louisiana....
, but at age two, his family relocated to the Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
suburb Cedar Grove.
On April 3, 1948, Franks played bass with the Bailes Brothers on the first night of the Louisiana Hayride
Louisiana Hayride
Louisiana Hayride was a radio and later television country music show broadcast from the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana, that during its heyday from 1948 to 1960 helped to launch the careers of some of the greatest names in American music...
radio broadcast.
During 1955, he became Johnny Horton
Johnny Horton
John Gale "Johnny" Horton was an American country music and rockabilly singer most famous for his semi-folk, so-called "saga songs" which began the "historical ballad" craze of the late 1950s and early 1960s...
's manager, and had him switch record companies from Mercury to Columbia. He was the sole writer of Horton's first No. 1 single, 1959's "When it's Springtime in Alaska (It's Forty Below)". He and Horton were co-composers of "Honky Tonk Man
Honky Tonk Man (song)
"Honky Tonk Man" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Johnny Horton. It was released in March 1956 as his debut single, reaching #9 on the U.S. country singles charts...
", Horton's 1956 success
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...
, that Dwight Yoakam
Dwight Yoakam
Dwight David Yoakam is an American singer-songwriter, actor and film director, most famous for his pioneering country music...
also recorded as his first single. During 1960, Franks co-wrote the successful single "Sink the Bismark" with Horton.
Franks' contribution to 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...
music has been recognized by his induction into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame
Rockabilly Hall of Fame
The Rockabilly Hall of Fame was established on the internet on March 21, 1997, to present early rock and roll history and information relative to the artists and personalities involved in this pioneering American music genre....
.
Franks died on October 26, 2006 in Shreveport.
External links
- Tillman Franks Web site
- [ Franks at Allmusic.com]
- Frank Tillman at Hillbilly-Music.com