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Peter Frank 14/05/17 - Just had a phone call from Chris Howes to tell me he had a call from Chris Frank to ask him to inform everyone on the jazz scene that his father, bass player Peter Frank (Peter Franks Allstars) , died suddenly last night of a suspected heart attack. Chris told me his last gig was at Bingley with the Aire Valley Jazzmen on Thursday 11th May and the band played well. Fred Burnett 15/05/17 - Just heard the awful news about Peter Frank, can't believe it. I spoke to him by phone just after his bands show at Leeds Jazz Club the previous night to say how much I had enjoyed his bass playing. I first met Peter in 1953 on the train bound for Bedford and our first day at RAF Cardington as raw recruits. Later we spent two months square bashing at RAF Padgate and then went our separate ways to do our National Service. I re-met Peter years later at Gildersome Lodge and booked his All Stars many times at Leeds Jazz Club. So glad I knew you Peter. RIP - John Wall. 19/05/17 - Hi Fred, As you know I played for Peter Frank for fourteen years and was more than saddened by his untimely death. Peter, in addition to being THE most sympathetic bass player I ever worked with in the UK, had a great sense of fun. He was also a very fine artist, specialising in watercolours. If there really is a heaven I can now envisage Peter looking down, bass in hand, chucking my chord sheets all over the stage floor and intoning (as a true Yorkshireman would) "Well, that's tripled the selling price of my paintings overnight". RIP Peter. One of the best guys I ever knew. - Ian Royle 22/05/17 - Over the years I played many gigs with Peter and always found him pleasant , easy going and an excellent bass player- he once did a continental tour with the Monty Sunshine band . On the Thursday evening before he died my wife and I saw him at Bingley - the band were on top form , the venue was very busy and an encore was demanded ! ( not always the case ). They did The Saints ! We had a chat in the interval and he stressed the importance of keeping playing whilst still able & going out in an evening to avoid becoming a couch potato. He would turn up most weeks at Bingley when he was not playing. He once told me he sat next to David Hockney at art college and when the class was over they would get some of Hockney's work , pin it to the notice board and throw darts at it ! If only they had known ! We will miss him. John Richardson , Otley , West Yorks 30/05/17 - Hi Fred, just to let you know, there's an article about Peter Frank's funeral on the Bradford telegraph and Argus website with a few pictures of the band here - Andy Henderson |
