Instruments Keyboard, vocals | Name Michael Franklin | |
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Born April 16, 1952 (age 71)
Buffalo, New York, United States ( 1952-04-16 ) Genres Rock, jazz, classical, fusion Occupation(s) Musician, producer, inventor, consultant Labels Wolfman Jack, Blues Image, Rick Wakeman, Spencer Davis, Pat Travers, Rockin Robin, Iron Butterfly, Hard Rock Live Band, Felix the Cat, Hello Kitty | ||
Fade Away
Michael Franklin (April 16, 1952) is an American musician and record producer.
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Early career
Michael Thomas Franklin was born in Buffalo, New York, April 16, 1952. As a keyboard player and vocalist, he began his career performeing in a local Buffalo band called The Movement. The group had a regional hit in 1966 with “Left Silently”. In 1969 his family relocated to Chesterton, Indiana, where he performed with several local groups, including GUM, Polyphemus and Rafter After.
In 1974 Franklin started his first recording studio Futuresound, in Beverly Shores, Indiana, where he would record and produce; Danny and The Juniors, Eldee Young, Lou Christie, The Drifters, among others; leading to a 1982 Grammy Nomination for best recording of “Reggae Tribute”, Warner/Electra/Asylum, on location in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
In 1984 he recorded his first solo jazz CD Jazz Vein. The album featured his band; brother Tim Franklin on bass, Barry Sperti on Sax, and Paul Parker on Drums. It also featured Chuck Leavell from the Rolling Stones and the Allman Brothers Band on keys and Laudir de Oliveira of the band Chicago, on percussion. Later that year, he formed an original music group “Lost Weekend” which had regional success and recorded a self-titled album. Lost Weekend became Rockin Robin, a back up band that accompanied national acts around the country.
Wolfman Jack
That same year, in 1984, Franklin met Wolfman Jack and become his bandleader, touring around the country.
In 1986 Franklin relocated to Orlando, Florida to become Music Director of “Little Darlin’s Rock and Roll Palace”. Michael planned to pay back his friend Wolfman for his years of support by convincing producers to use Wolfman, as the host of a new television show, “Rock and Roll Palace TV Shows”. The show was filmed at Little Darlin’s, Nashville and Baltimore. Franklin negotiates to change the club name to “Wolfman Jack’s Rock and Roll Palace”.
He music directed over 180 TV Shows, most with Wolfman Jack as the host.
Studio Work
In the eighties, Franklin did session work for The Staple Singers, Middle of the Road, Shut up and Drive and others. He also composed music for many sound track libraries.
In the nineties he began producing music for cartoons such as Felix the Cat and Hello Kitty. Working from his own studio, he produced CD’s for Tommy Roe, Gloria Gaynor, Spencer Davis, Edgar Winter, Toto's Bobby Kimball and others.
In 1992 he traveled to The Isle of Man to produce “Classic Tracks” for Rick Wakeman of Yes. While mixing in Philadelphia he recorded with Puck and Nat on the Beverly Hills 90210 soundtrack.
In January 1992 January he and the band performed with Bruce Hornsby at The Super Bowl.
In September 1992 he joined the Crickets for the opening of the musical “Buddy”, with Paul McCartney.
In 1993 he produced, “Windows of Time” for his close friend Patrick Moraz of The Moody Blues.
Hard Rock
After Wolfman’s death in 1995, he became music director of Hard Rock Live in Orlando from 1998-2001. Performing with classic artists as band leader. Franklin performed alongside Joe Walsh, Bruce Hornsby, Leslie West, Edgar Winter, Melanie Safka, Don Mclean, Rick Derringer, Bobby Kimball and others.
He would also appear on events as keyboard player for Chuck Berry’s birthday dates, and the opening of the musical “Buddy” with Paul McCartney.
Japan, China and Inventions
Franklin has spent a good bit of time living and working in Asia. Starting in 1992, with Rockin Robin, he had traveled to Japan several times. In 1998, he composed music for “Felix The Cat’s Musical Adventure, with Hello Kitty”, for Felix the Cat productions. Beginning in 2001, Franklin produced music in China, working with some of the biggest Chinese stars, Andy Hui, Lang Lang, A-mei and others.
He began spending the majority of the year in China, where he began working on entertainment productions and his owns electronics design business. He started The American International Carnival, which brought a large American carnival company to play to millions of people in Tianjin, Nanning and Shenyang, China.
Franklin invented The Volt, a solar charger for iPhone and then iPad, and worked with Optimum Solar to develop “The Plug and Play”, a totally self-contained solar power plant, both products selling globally.
Return to the States
Michael Franklin continues to produce from both in Beijing and Orlando.
In 2014, he returned to USA to resume his music full-time.
Scheduled projects include: