Chris Frantz

Chris Frantz

Frantz (middle)
Background information
Birth name Charlton Christopher Frantz
Born May 8, 1951
Fort Campbell, Kentucky
Instruments Drums, percussion
Associated acts Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club

Chris Frantz (born Charlton Christopher Frantz, May 8, 1951) is an American musician and record producer. He was the drummer for both Talking Heads and the Tom Tom Club.[1]

Career

Born in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, he graduated from Shady Side Academy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He and David Byrne met in the early 1970s at the Rhode Island School of Design. They formed a band called the Artistics, which evolved over time into Talking Heads. Frantz also convinced his girlfriend Tina Weymouth to join the band as bass guitarist. They were married in 1977.

Members of the Compass Point All Stars family, Frantz and Weymouth formed the Tom Tom Club in 1980, which kept them busy during a fairly long hiatus in Talking Heads activity. Weymouth, Frantz, and Jerry Harrison reunited as The Heads for a one-off album called No Talking, Just Head in 1996, featuring a rotating cast of vocalists, including Debbie Harry.

He and Weymouth produced the Happy Mondays' 1992 album, Yes Please! and the Scottish group Angelfish's self-titled album. Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth recently contributed backing vocals and percussion for Damon Albarn's alternative rock virtual band, Gorillaz.

He is ranked number 12 in Stylus Magazine's list of the 50 greatest rock drummers.

He currently has a radio program on 89.5 WPKN out of Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Personal life

Frantz lived in Maysville, Kentucky, before going to boarding school.

Frantz has two sons with Weymouth, named Egan and Robin. Chris and Tina currently reside in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Frantz' brother Roddy Frantz is the lead singer for the Urban Verbs.

References

  1. ↑ Prato, Greg. "Biography: Chris Frantz". Allmusic. Retrieved 13 June 2010.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chris Frantz.