Frank Bey
Frank Bey (January 17, 1946 – June 7, 2020) was an American blues singer. He was the seventh of twelve children born to gospel singer Maggie Jordan. Although his birth name was Frank Bass, he changed his last name to Bey at age 27 when he joined the Moorish Science Temple of America.[1]
Early Years[edit]
Born and raised in Millen, Georgia, Frank Bey began his singing career performing gospel at the age of four. Along with his brother and two cousins, their group “The Rising Sons” toured around The South making live appearances as well as radio broadcasts.[2] He remained with them until age 12 or 13 when the group dissolved. He also sang with his mother at local concerts, where he had the opportunity to help open shows for luminaries such as the Five Blind Boys of Alabama, the Soul Stirrers, and more.[1]
Career[edit]
Bey left home when he was 17 and moved to Philadelphia, where he worked for two and a half years as a driver for Gene Lawson, Otis Redding’s advance publicity man. Redding sometimes rode in the back seat on trips between engagements. On three of those occasions, when the opening act was late showing up, Bey says he was given the opportunity to open the shows. By the early 70’s he joined the Moorish Vanguard and relocated to Aiken, South Carolina. In 1976, Bey produced “The Sunset of Your Love” on the Country Eastern Music label.[3] James Brown then published the song on Polydor Records without their permission. The group initially accused Bey of giving the song to Brown but Brown later settled and admitted to taking the song.[4] After this, Bey left the music business and wouldn’t sing again for 17 years.
By 1996, Bey returned to singing in the Philadelphia area. In 1998, Bey’s debut album, Steppin’ Out, was released on MAG Records.[5] Health problems interfered with his ability to perform in support of the release, and he subsequently released “Blues in the Pocket” in 2007 on Jeffhouse Records.[6] By then, Bey was Brought by Blues DJ Noel Hayes to the Bay Area in California to perform with guitarist Anthony Paule and other area musicians. The two went on to release Three albums, “You Don’t Know Nothing (Live)”[7] in 2014 and “Soul for Your Blues, and 2015 “Not Goin’ Away””[8] later in 2013.[1]
In July 2018, Bey signed with Nola Blue Records.[9] In September, he released his first CD on the Nola Blue label, Back In Business[10]. This was followed by the release of All My Dues Are Paid[11] in January 2020.
Frank passed away on June 7, 2020 after a long illness.
Awards[edit]
- 35th Blues Music Awards – Nominee for Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year[12]
- 35th Blues Music Awards – Nominee (with Anthony Paule) for Soul Blues Album of the Year (Soul for Your Blues)[12]
- 37th Blues Music Awards – Nominee for Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year[13]
- 37th Blues Music Awards – Nominee (with Anthony Paule) for Soul Blues Album of the Year (Not Goin’ Away)[13]
- 40th Blues Music Awards – Nominee for Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year[14]
- 40th Blues Music Awards – Nominee for Soul Blues Album of the Year (Back In Business)[15]
- 2018 Global Music Awards – Gold Medal, Male Vocalist – Back In Business[16]
- 2019 Blues Blast Music Awards – Nominee for Soul Blues Album (Back In Business)[17]
- 17th Independent Music Awards – Nominee for Blues Album (Back In Business)[18]
- 18th Independent Music Awards – Nominee for Blues Album (All My Dues Are Paid)[19]
Discography[edit]
| Album | Artist | Release Date | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Sunset of Your Love | Moorish Vanguard | 1976 | Producer, Vocals |
| Steppin’ Out | Frank Bey | 1998 | Primary Artist |
| Blues in the Pocket | Frank Bey | 2007 | Primary Artist |
| You Don’t Know Nothing | Frank Bey/Anthony Paule | 2013 | Vocals |
| Soul for Your Blues | Frank Bey/Anthony Paule | 2014 | Vocals |
| Not Goin’ Away | Frank Bey/Anthony Paule | 2015 | Vocals |
| Back In Business | Frank Bey | 2018 | Primary Artist |
| All My Dues Are Paid | Frank Bey | 2020 | Primary Artist |
References[edit]
- ^ Jump up to:a b c “Frank Bey: Music Was The Thing That Brought Joy”. livingblues.com. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
- ^ “About Frank”. frankbeymusic.com. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
- ^ “The Moorish Vanguard Concert* – The Sunset Of Your Love”. Discogs. Retrieved 2018-09-26.
- ^ “Moorish Vanguard Concert vs. James Brown”. law.justia.com. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
- ^ “Steppin’ Out”. Amazon.com. Retrieved September 25, 2018.[dead link]
- ^ “Blues In The Pocket”. allmusic.com. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
- ^ “You Don’t Know Nothing”. allmusic.com. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
- ^ “Soul for Your Blues”. Amazon.com. Retrieved September 25, 2018.[dead link]
- ^ “Nola Blue Press Release”. prlog.org. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
- ^ “Back In Business”.
- ^ “All My Dues Are Paid”.
- ^ Jump up to:a b “Winners of the 2014 Blues Music Awards”. ThoughtCo. Retrieved 2018-09-26.
- ^ Jump up to:a b “The Blues Foundation Announces 37th Blues Music Award Nominees”. www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2018-09-26.
- ^ “40th BMA Nominees”.
- ^ “40th BMA Nominees”.
- ^ “Global Music Awards – Music Competition”. www.globalmusicawards.com. Retrieved 2018-09-26.
- ^ “2019 Blues Blast Nominees”.
- ^ “17th Independent Music Awards Nominees”.
- ^ “18th Independent Music Awards Nominees”.
