NGELU: Frank D'Rone is a GREAT Singer

photos: Alan Mercer Lighting: Eric Venturo

"A singer with an individual sound that invites no comparisons; a singer who can seemingly sustain a note forever; one of the few singers who can change a mood of a room from song to song by moving from one emotion to another naturally. He holds an audience."

--Nat "King" Cole

"It is simply impossible to find fault with anything Frank D'Rone sings or plays."

--Leonard Feather - Downbeat

"...when you listen to D'Rone you are listening to the real thing."

--Tony Bennett

"A seasoned singer for all seasons. Few equal D'Rone's mix of voice, guitar. The superb jazz improviser somehow manages to combine the best of two worlds: a warm baritone that adeptly expresses melodic nuances and a fluid guitar technique that operates exclusively at the virtuoso level."

--Howard Reich - The Chicago Tribune

Frank started singing and playing the guitar on stage at the age of 5 in Providence, Rhode Island. At age 11, he had his own local radio show twice a week. At age 13, he won an Artist’s Degree in classical guitar awarded him by the American Guild of Stringed Instruments. He formed his own band and played dates in the Providence area while finishing his education.

Then D’Rone headed for New York where things were happening for talented people in show business. Frank worked around New York in different clubs.

A big break came for Frank when a club owner from Chicago heard him and hired him. The club was “Dante’s Inferno.” He was such a success that the management gave him an indefinite contract.

Frank stayed at Dante’s for fourteen months. In that time, the name Frank D’Rone started becoming popular. People flocked to see him, including such celebrities as Frank Sinatra, Johnny Mathis, Ella Fitzgerald, Shecky Greene, Alan King, Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Stan Kenton, June Christy and many more.

D’Rone’s unique and rare gift has taken him before the spotlights of virtually every major nightclub in the United States. Frank was headlining the world famous “Copacabana” when Tony Bennett took over the microphone on opening night and told the audience, “A few years back, Nat “King” Cole said that Frank D’Rone was the finest singer around. Tonight he has proved that Nat was right!”

I first heard of Frank D’Rone when I was doing a photo session for another singer and he had the “After The Ball” LP because he wanted to recreate the cover. I did not know the music but I had a feeling it was great. A few weeks later I saw the CD of the same album and I had to have it. I was not disappointed. Frank D’Rone is so exceptional I told myself if he ever comes to LA I would be there. Well he did come to Los Angeles for a show at the end of June and I had the pleasure to see him perform live and to work with him. He is as charming and polite as he is talented.

I wrangled up Eric Venturo and we did our thing with the Singer’s Singer. We had a blast working with one of the most talented artists we have ever met.

AM: I understand that you were a child prodigy. Is this correct?

FD: I was three years old, believe it or not. My parents told me this, and they were not musical at all. My Dad worked for the railroad. I was brought up in Providence, RI. Anyway when I was three years old my Dad was taking me downtown and I saw a ukulele. I pointed to it and said I wanted it. He bought it for me. I learned to play ukulele by myself. So I realized that I had the gift of musical talent.

AM: Did other people recognize your talent?

FD: Like I said, no one else in my family had any musical talent and I was an only child. I knew it was a gift. Then from ukulele I got my first guitar at the age of four and I taught myself. At the age of five I was on stage singing and playing guitar. I caught the tail end of Vaudeville.

AM: What kind of performing did you do?

FD: They were called melodramas. It was all in Italian and it was a play with music. During intermission I would come out and sing in Italian and play guitar for about fifteen minutes. I’ll never forget that I got two dollars as my pay. Then I just went on from there. When I was about ten, I finally started to study music. I had never studied before but I continued for six years.

AM: Did you study jazz?

FD: I studied classics for a while but that didn’t really get to me. I could always hear the jazz stuff happening. That’s what got to me. In those days it was Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra when he first came out.

AM: Would you call Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra influences?

FD: Yes and so was Nat “King” Cole.

AM: I know you ended up being friends with Nat Cole didn’t you?

FD: Oh yes, dear friends, and I was friends with Sinatra as well. When he would appear in the main show room in Vegas he always had me in the lounge so he could come enjoy my show.

AM: I love that!

FD: Isn’t that great? But Nat was my really dear friend. He wrote the liner notes for my first album. He was a big influence on me.

AM: You have been acknowledged for your talent all your life haven’t you?

FD: Yes, especially by the jazz music circles. Mainstream people don’t know me. You said you never heard of me until recently.

AM: I only learned of you about three years ago.

FD: There you go.

AM: What I love about you is that you play the guitar.

FD: It’s an asset, let me tell you. It’s better than just going up there singing.

AM: Are you interested in working more?

FD: Oh yeah, if the situation is good.

AM: You are one of the handful of singers who know the American songbook. You must know at least 300 songs. Am I right?

FD: I know at least 300 songs.

AM: Have you been compared to any other artists?

FD: No I think I have my own style. I have been compared to Sinatra as far as my phrasing goes, but not that I sound like him.

AM: I hope you come back to Los Angeles and play another show very soon.

FD: Well thank you. It’s tough like I say because there are only a handful of people who dig this kind of music. You can tell by what’s happening in music today. To me it is often noise with a beat. It’s an older crowd who digs the stuff that I do. It’s hard to get enough money to come out here.

AM: You mostly play Chicago then.

FD: Mostly and I’m doing mostly concerts. I am not background music. I will work the Green Mill Club in Chicago, which is a great Jazz Club. I’m doing the Jazz Showcase when I get back. I’ve got a concert in a Theater in Michigan. I want to play for people who come to sit and listen to Frank D’Rone sing.