Michael Franks (musician)
Michael Franks (born September 18, 1944) is a jazz singer and songwriter. He has recorded with a variety of well-known artists, such as Patti Austin, Brenda Russell, Art Garfunkel, and David Sanborn. His songs have been recorded by Lyle Lovett, Kurt Elling, The Manhattan Transfer, Patti Labelle, Carmen McRae, Diana Krall, Shirley Bassey, Ringo Starr and The Carpenters.
Biography
Franks grew up in southern California with his father Gerald, his mother Betty and two younger sisters. Although no one in his family played music, his parents loved swing music and his early influences included Peggy Lee, Nat King Cole, Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin and Johnny Mercer. At age 14 Franks bought his first guitar, a Japanese Marco Polo for $29.95 with six private lessons included - the only music education that he received.
At University High in San Diego, Franks discovered the poetry of Theodore Roethke with his off-rhymes and hidden meter. In high school, he began singing folk-rock, accompanying himself on guitar. Studying English at UCLA Michael discovered Dave Brubeck, Patti Page, Stan Getz, João Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Miles Davis. He never studied music in college or later, but earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from UCLA in comparative literature in 1966 and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Oregon in 1968. He had a teaching assistantship in a Ph.D. program in American literature at the University of Montreal before returning to teach part-time at UCLA.
Michael Franks
Michael or Mike Franks may refer to:
Michael Franks (athlete)
Michael "Mike" Franks (born September 23, 1963) is a former American track and field athlete who competed in the 400-meter dash.
He was the silver medalist in the event at the inaugural 1983 World Championships in Athletics. He was given the Harrison Dillard Award in 1984 for his achievements. While attending Southern Illinois University Carbondale, he took the 400 m title at the 1985 NCAA Men's Indoor Track and Field Championship. That same year he took the gold medal at the 1985 IAAF Grand Prix Final and two further golds at the 1985 IAAF World Cup in the 400 m and 4×400-meter relay events. He was the fastest athlete of 1985 over 400 m with his personal best time of 44.47 seconds.
He competed at the 1987 IAAF World Indoor Championships and secured the bronze medal behind Antonio McKay and Roberto Hernández. Turning to the outdoor season, he won at the 1987 Summer Universiade, taking the 400 m students' title. He was selected as an alternate for the 4×400 m relay at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics and helped set a championship record of 2:59.06 in the semi-finals (which was later improved upon when the Americans took gold in the event final.
Michael Franks (album)
Michael Franks is a smooth vocal jazz album, and the eponymous debut studio album of American singer-songwriter and musician Michael Franks. Released in 1973 with Brut, the album was re-released in 1983 under the title Previously Unavailable.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Michael Franks.
Personnel
Musicians
Support
References
Franks
The Franks (Latin: Franci or gens Francorum) are historically first known as a group of Germanic tribes that roamed the land between the Lower and Middle Rhine in the 3rd century AD, and second as the people of Gaul who merged with the Gallo-Roman populations during succeeding centuries, passing on their name to modern-day France and becoming part of the heritage of the modern French people. Some Franks raided Roman territory, while other Frankish tribes joined the Roman troops of Gaul. In later times, Franks became the military rulers of the northern part of Roman Gaul. With the coronation of their ruler Charlemagne as Imperator Romanorum by Pope Leo III in 800 AD, he and his successors were portrayed as legitimate successors to the emperors of the Western Roman Empire.
The Salian Franks lived on Roman-held soil between the Rhine, Scheldt, Meuse, and Somme rivers in what is now Northern France, Belgium and the southern Netherlands. The kingdom was acknowledged by the Romans after 357 AD. Following the collapse of Rome in the West, the Frankish tribes were united under the Merovingians, who succeeded in conquering most of Gaul in the 6th century. The Franks became very powerful after this. The Merovingian dynasty, descendants of the Salians, founded one of the Germanic monarchies that would absorb large parts of the Western Roman Empire. The Frankish state consolidated its hold over the majority of western Europe by the end of the 8th century, developing into the Carolingian Empire. This empire would gradually evolve into the state of France and the Holy Roman Empire.
Franks (disambiguation)
The Franks were a confederacy of ancient to early medieval Germanic tribes.
Franks may also refer to:
See also
Franks (surname)
Franks is also an Anglo-American surname, derived from the given name Frank. The name is on record in Virginia from the 1660s.
People with the surname include:
