Years active 1960s–present | Name Frank (bassist) Role Bass guitarist | |
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Born 14 December 1943 (age 80)
Hayes, Middlesex, England ( 1943-12-14 ) Associated acts The Searchers, Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers Music groups The Searchers (Since 1964), Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers (1958 – 1964) Albums Best Of The Searchers, It's the Searchers, Hearts In Their Eyes, The Definitive Pye Colle, The Pye Anthology Similar People John McNally, Mike Pender, Spencer James, Chris Curtis, Tony Jackson | ||
Birth name Francis Renaud McNeice | ||
Frank Allen (born Francis Renaud McNeice, 14 December 1943, Hayes, Middlesex, England) is an English bass guitarist.
Career
He has played bass guitar with Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers and The Searchers (since 1964 when he replaced original bass guitarist Tony Jackson), who he is still with today. Allen joined Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers as rhythm guitarist in 1961, and changed over to bass guitar in early 1962, following the departure of Ben Jordan.
When Tony Jackson left the Searchers in August 1964 after a string of hits (including "Sweets for My Sweet", "Sugar and Spice" and "Needles and Pins"), Allen was asked to join the group. They then recorded "When You Walk in the Room", with Mike Pender and Frank Allen singing a dual lead line.
Allen has turned to writing as a parallel occupation with a humorous book of touring recollections called Travelling Man in 1999 (Aureus Publishing), as well as articles for newspapers and periodicals. His definitive and detailed biography of the Searchers entitled The Searchers And Me - A History of the Legendary Sixties Hitmakers, was published by Aureus in April 2009..
The Searchers, with Allen on bass guitar, founder member John McNally on lead guitar and twelve string and now aided by Spencer James (lead vocals since 1986) and with Scott Ottaway replacing Eddie Roth (drums) in March 2010, still tour constantly.