Taking the stage name Frankie Ford, he made his first recordings for Ace Records in 1958. He toured locally in Louisiana, before recording a vocal overdub on the song “Sea Cruise”, a song written and originally recorded by Huey “Piano” Smith with his group, the Clowns, and featuring overdubbed bells and ships’ horns. As Smith already had a record in the charts, and was away touring, the record label decided to release Ford’s version, and it rose to #14 on the US Pop chart and #11 on the R&B chart, selling over one million copies, and gaining gold disc status.
Ford toured widely around the US, but his later records were less successful, with his versions of “Alimony” and “Time After Time” only reaching the lower reaches of the national charts. He also recorded a novelty record in praise of a local TV presenter, “Morgus the Magnificent”, with musicians including Mac Rebennack and Jerry Byrne, but it failed to sell. Ace released an LP by Ford, Let’s Take A Sea Cruise With Frankie Ford, before the singer moved to Imperial Records in late 1960. He recorded with producer Dave Bartholomew, and released a version of “You Talk Too Much”, but Ford’s recording missed out in competition with one by Joe Jones which was issued almost simultaneously. In 1961, his version of Boyd Bennett’s 1955 hit “Seventeen” was Ford’s last chart entry.
Ford was drafted in 1962, and performed for troops in Japan, Vietnam and Korea. He later recorded occasionally for small labels, but mainly performed in clubs in and around New Orleans. He appeared in the 1978 movie American Hot Wax, and toured in Britain and Europe, recording the album New Orleans Dynamo in London in 1989. He continued to record and perform through the 1990s. Ford co-owned the Briarmeade record label, which issued several singles and albums by him from the 1970s to the 2000s. On May 16, 2010, at the Louisiana Music Homecoming in Erwinville, Ford was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
About Us
Country Road TV is your unlimited one-stop for all things Country Lifestyle. From Country Music to Country Cooking, from Cars to Cows, our shows are hand-picked and produced to cater to the fan of all things country. Our goal is to celebrate the unique legacy of mid-America and good Ol’ family values.
Quick Links
Contact
Watch thousands of hours of family-friendly, country life style entertainment - anywhere, anytime.
Choose the plan that's right for you.
Monthly Pass$14.99/mo.
Features
Yearly Pass$129.99/yr.
Features
Features | Monthly Pass$14.99/mo. | Yearly Pass$129.99/yr. |
---|---|---|
Price after free trial ends | ||
Savings | Standard | Save 20% |
Watch on your laptop, TV, phone and tablet | ||
3 Days Free | ||
Cancel Anytime | ||
Watch on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire | ||
Exclusive Video Content not available anywhere else. |