Michael Fonfara (11 August 1946 – 8 January 2021) was a Canadian keyboard player who was most notable for his work as a member of

The Electric Flag The Electric Flag was an American soul rock band, led by guitarist Mike Bloomfield, keyboardist Barry Goldberg and drummer Buddy Miles, and featuring other musicians such as vocalist Nick Gravenites and bassist Harvey Brooks. Bloomfield forme ...

and

Rhinoceros A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...

in the 1960s, Rough Trade and

Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. ...

's backing band in the 1970s and The

Downchild Blues Band The Downchild Blues Band is a Canadian blues band, described by one reviewer as "the premier blues band in Canada". The band is still commonly known as the Downchild Blues Band, though the actual band name was shortened to "Downchild" in the ea ...

, from 1990 to the present. He studied classical piano at

The Royal Conservatory of Music The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM), branded as The Royal Conservatory, is a non-profit music education institution and performance venue headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1886 by Edward Fisher as The Toronto Con ...

. He is a multiple

Maple Blues Award The Maple Blues Awards are Canada’s blues awards, "honouring the finest in Canadian blues". They are the only comprehensive national best in blues awards program. The program's goal is to promote blues music across Canada, and to recognize outs ...

winner as Piano/Keyboardist of the year and a

Juno Award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...

winner with the Downchild Blues Band. His distinguished musical career was so honoured by the

Maple Blues Awards The Maple Blues Awards are Canada’s blues awards, "honouring the finest in Canadian blues". They are the only comprehensive national best in blues awards program. The program's goal is to promote blues music across Canada, and to recognize outs ...

as early as 2000 and a Juno Award in 2014.

Biography

Fonfara's career as a professional musician commenced in 1963, when he started playing in the Toronto band, Lee Jackson & The Checkmates, which evolved into Jon and Lee & The Checkmates soon afterwards. Members of Jon and Lee & The Checkmates ultimately formed the nucleus of the later bands Rhinoceros and Blackstone, plus contributed significantly to the work of

in the 1970s. When Jon and Lee & The Checkmates broke up in September 1967, Fonfara worked briefly with

David Clayton-Thomas David Clayton-Thomas (born David Henry Thomsett, 13 September 1941) is a Grammy Award-winning Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the American band Blood, Sweat & Tears. Clayton-Thomas has been inducte ...

and then, during the months of November and December, 1967, toured and recorded with

, featuring

Buddy Miles George Allen "Buddy" Miles Jr. (September 5, 1947February 26, 2008) was an American composer, drummer, guitarist, vocalist and producer. He was a founding member of the Electric Flag (1967), a member of Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys (1969–197 ...

and Michael Bloomfield. Fonfara replaced keyboardist and founding Electric Flag member

Barry Goldberg Barry Joseph Goldberg (born December 25, 1942) is an American blues and rock keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer. Goldberg has co-produced albums by Percy Sledge, Charlie Musselwhite, James Cotton, and the Textones, plus Bob Dylan's ve ...

. He was then selected by producer

Paul Rothchild Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) *Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity * Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...

as a member of the Elektra Records' hand-picked, "

supergroup Supergroup or super group may refer to: * Supergroup (music), a music group formed by artists who are already notable or respected in their fields * Supergroup (physics), a generalization of groups, used in the study of supersymmetry * Supergroup ...

", Rhinoceros, in December 1967. Fonfara was the co-writer of the band's major hit, "Apricot Brandy", and recorded three albums with the group. Upon the dissolution of Rhinoceros in 1971, Fonfara joined with ex-Rhinoceros bandmates John Finley,

Danny Weis Danny Weis (pronounced ; born September 28, 1948 in Huntington Park, California) is an American guitarist, best known as a founding member of both Iron Butterfly and Rhinoceros, as well as co-writer of Rhinoceros's only charting single, "Apricot ...

Larry Leishman Larry Leishman (April 4, 1947 in Dunfermline, Scotland – March 4, 2013) was a Canadian guitarist who was a member of Toronto R&B outfit, Jon and Lee & The Checkmates during the mid 1960s. When the band broke up in September 1967, he briefly work ...

and Peter Hodgson to form the group Blackstone. The band recorded one album in 1972, ''On The Line'', again produced by Paul Rothchild, prior to splintering and then breaking up in 1973. Fonfara thereafter commenced working with Lou Reed, an association that continued throughout the balance of the 1970s. Fonfara caught Reed's attention for his work on

The Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) and Phillip "Phil" Everly (January 19, 1939 ...

' 1974 album ''

Stories We Could Tell ''Stories We Could Tell'' is a country rock album by The Everly Brothers, released in 1972. It was reissued as '' Stories We Could Tell:The RCA Years'' by BMG in 2003 and included additional tracks, all stemming from the successor album ''Pass th ...

''. In 1976, Fonfara was a member of controversial Toronto-based band Rough Trade, acting as keyboard player and arranger on their first album. He left the band at the end of 1977 in a dispute over payment for his work on Rough Trade's live revue show ''Restless Underwear''. During the latter part of the 1970s and continuing to 1981, he was a member of the pop rock group

Tycoon A business magnate, also known as a tycoon, is a person who has achieved immense wealth through the ownership of multiple lines of enterprise. The term characteristically refers to a powerful entrepreneur or investor who controls, through perso ...

, based in New York City, which recorded two albums. He also played as a session musician on "Urgent" by Foreigner, a single that reached #4 in the US and #1 in Canada; the single's parent album ''

Foreigner 4 ''4'', also known as ''Foreigner 4'', is the fourth studio album by the British-American rock band Foreigner, released on July 3, 1981, on Atlantic Records. Several singles from the album were hits, including "Urgent", "Waiting for a Girl Like ...

'' hit number 1 on Billboard and was certified 6× platinum. In the 1980s, Fonfara returned to Toronto, where he became a key member of the Canadian R&B band

The Lincolns The Lincolns are a Canadian rhythm and blues band, fronted by Prakash John and based in Toronto, Ontario. The band performs music in the style of the 1960s and 1970s. History In 1979, after leaving the Alice Cooper tours, Prakash John returned ...

. The Lincolns had been founded by

Prakash John Prakash is a common given name in Asian, Hindu, Sanskrit names and widely used in Nepal, India and Sri Lanka. Prakash is generally used as a masculine name. The word prakash is derived from the Sanskrit word "prakāśa", meaning "bright light" or " ...

, with whom Fonfara had first played in a later version of Blackstone in 1973 and, thereafter, when both were playing and recording with Lou Reed, during the balance of the 1970s. Fonfara continued to play with The Lincolns, while remaining a member of The

, which he joined in 1990. In 2000, 2004, 2007 and 2009, he was the recipient of the

, as piano/keyboard player of the year. Fonfara's career-based contributions to blues music were recognized through his nomination in 2008 and 2009 for the "Blues With A Feeling" Maple Blues Award. He married model Avril Lund (born 1950) and had two children with her before he died on 8 January 2021 at 74 in a

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

hospital, following a two-year battle with cancer.

Discography

Jon and Lee & The Checkmates

*1967 "Bring It Down Front/Pork Chops" (Spartan; single only)

Electric Flag

*1968 ''

A Long Time Comin' ''A Long Time Comin is the first album by American rock band the Electric Flag, released in 1968. The album has a mix of musical styles, including soul along with blues and rock, with a horn section. It opens with an updated take on the Howlin' ...

'' ( Columbia) *1995 ''Old Glory: Best of the Electric Flag, An American Music Band'' (

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

)

Rhinoceros

*1968 ''Rhinoceros'' ( Elektra) *1969 ''Satin Chickens'' (Elektra) *1970 ''Better Times Are Coming'' (Elektra)

Blackstone

*1972 ''On The Line'' (1972)

Lou Reed

*1974 ''

Sally Can't Dance ''Sally Can't Dance'' is the fourth solo studio album by American musician Lou Reed, released in August 1974 by RCA Records. Steve Katz and Reed produced the album. It remains Reed's highest-charting album in the United States, having peaked at ...

'' (

RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...

) *1976 ''

Rock and Roll Heart ''Rock and Roll Heart'' is the seventh solo studio album by American musician Lou Reed, released in October 1976. It was his first album for Arista Records after record mogul Clive Davis reportedly rescued him from bankruptcy. "A Sheltered Life" ...

'' (

Arista Arista may refer to: Organizations *Arista Networks, a software defined networking company *Arista Records, an American record label, division of Sony Music **Arista Nashville, a record label specializing in country music *Arista (honor society) ...

) *1977 '' Walk on the Wild Side: The Best of Lou Reed'' (RCA) *1978 ''

Street Hassle ''Street Hassle'' is the eighth solo studio album by American musician Lou Reed, released in February 1978 by Arista Records. Richard Robinson and Reed produced the album. It is the first commercially released pop album to employ binaural record ...

'' (Arista) *1978 '' Live: Take No Prisoners'' (Arista; expanded CD reissue 2002 by

BMG Heritage BMG Heritage Records was the record label of the BMG Strategic Marketing Group reissue division of Sony BMG Music Entertainment which handled the reissue of recordings first issued on the RCA Victor, Arista, Buddah, Windham Hill and Jive Recor ...

) *1979 '' The Bells'' (Arista) Fonfara is also executive producer of the album. *1980 '' Growing Up in Public'' (Arista). Fonfara also co-produced and co-wrote the album with Lou Reed. *1980 '' Rock and Roll Diary: 1967-1980'' (Arista) *2005 ''

Coney Island Baby ''Coney Island Baby'' is the sixth solo studio album by American musician Lou Reed, released December 1975 in the US, and in January 1976 in the UK, by RCA Records. Music and lyrics The album has been described by Anthony DeCurtis as "perhaps ...

'' (30th Anniversary Edition of 1975

release.) 1975 recordings omitted four tracks from the original release and to which Fonfara contributed, now included in anniversary edition.

Rough Trade

*1976 ''Rough Trade Live! Direct To Disc'' (Umbrella Records)

Tycoon

*1979 ''Tycoon'' (Arista)

The Lincolns

*1983 ''Take One'' (

Attic An attic (sometimes referred to as a '' loft'') is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building; an attic may also be called a ''sky parlor'' or a garret. Because attics fill the space between the ceiling of the ...

)

Downchild

*1994 ''Good Times Guaranteed'' (Downchild Music) *1997 ''Lucky 13'' (Downchild Music) *2004 ''Come On In'' (Downchild Music) *2007 ''Live At The

Palais Royale Palais Royale is a dance hall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on Lake Shore Boulevard at the foot of Roncesvalles Avenue on Lake Ontario. Originally built as a boat works, it became notable as a night club in the now-defunct Sunnyside Amusem ...

'' (Downchild Music)

Selected other contributions

*1968

David Ackles David Thomas Ackles (February 20, 1937 – March 2, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, pianist, and child actor. He recorded four albums between 1968 and 1973. Describing Ackles' style in 2003, critic Colin McElligatt wrote, "An unlikely ...

, ''

'', also known as ''Road to Cairo'' (Elektra) *1972

Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) and Phillip "Phil" Everly (January 19, 1939 ...

, ''

'' (RCA; expanded CD reissue 2002 by

BMG International BMG may refer to: Organizations * Music publishing companies: ** Bertelsmann Music Group, a 1987–2008 division of Bertelsmann that was purchased by Sony on October 1, 2008 *** Sony BMG, a 2004–2008 joint venture of Bertelsmann and Sony that wa ...

as '' Stories We Could Tell:The RCA Years''.) *1974 Ian Matthews, '' Some Days You Eat The Bear'' (Elektra) *1975

Rory Block Aurora "Rory" Block (born November 6, 1949, in Princeton, New Jersey) is an American blues guitarist and singer, a notable exponent of the country blues style. Career Aurora Block was born in Princeton and grew up in Manhattan. Her father, Allan ...

, ''Rory Block'' (

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the studi ...

) *1981 Foreigner, ''

'' (

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

) *1982 Foreigner, ''

Records A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, ...

'' (Atlantic) *1984

Amos Garrett Amos Garrett (born November 26, 1941) is an American-Canadian blues and blues-rock musician, guitarist, singer, composer, and musical arranger. He has written instructional books about music and guitar. Garrett holds dual citizenship and was rai ...

, ''Amosbehavin ( Stony Plain) *1993 Joe Mavety Sunburst Mavety Street Publishing *1994 Michael Bloomfield, ''Don't Say That I Ain't Your Man: Essential Blues 1964-1969'' ( Columbia/

Legacy In law, a legacy is something held and transferred to someone as their inheritance, as by will and testament. Personal effects, family property, marriage property or collective property gained by will of real property. Legacy or legacies may refer ...

) *1999

Grievous Angels Grievous Angels are a Canadian alternative country band, active since 1986."Street Beat". ''Toronto Star'', June 11, 1987. The band's name is a reference to the Gram Parsons album ''Grievous Angel''."Angels have Canadian roots". ''Edmonton Journal ...

, ''22 Trailer Park'' Fonfara also produced the album.One of the group members,

Charlie Angus Charles Joseph Angus (born November 14, 1962) is a Canadian author, journalist, broadcaster, musician and politician. A member of the New Democratic Party (NDP), Angus has been the federal Member of Parliament for the riding of Timmins—Jame ...

, was subsequently elected as a Canadian Member of Parliament. *2000

Snooky Pryor James Edward "Snooky" Pryor (September 15, 1919 or 1921 – October 18, 2006) was an American Chicago blues harmonica player. He claimed to have pioneered the now-common method of playing amplified harmonica by cupping a small microphone in his ...

and Mel Brown, ''Double Shot'' (Electro-Fi) *2002 Northern Blues Gospel Allstars, ''Saved'' (Northern Blues) *2002

Cameo Blues Band The Cameo Blues Band is a Toronto-based blues band, originally formed in 1978. It is particularly notable for its association with several of Canada's leading blues singers, including Richard "Hock" Walsh, Tony Flaim and Chuck Jackson, all of ...

, ''All Play and No Work'' (Make It Real) *2002 Robbie Rox and The Monster Horn Band (Earl owns the World) *2003 Brian Gauci, ''Guitar Romp'' (Dynasound) *2004

Sam Myers Samuel Joseph Myers (February 19, 1936 – July 17, 2006) was an American blues musician and songwriter. He was an accompanist on dozens of recordings by blues artists over five decades. He began his career as a drummer for Elmore James but was ...

, ''Coming From The Old School'' (Electro-Fi) *2004

Willie "Big Eyes" Smith Willie Lee "Big Eyes" Smith (January 19, 1936 – September 16, 2011) was an American electric blues vocalist, harmonica player, and drummer. He was best known for several stints with the Muddy Waters band beginning in the early 1960s. Biogra ...

, ''Bluesin' It'' (Electro-Fi) *2004 Maria Aurigema, ''Take Me'' *2004 Angela Scappatura, "A Little Bit of Sugar" (Fonfara produced and played piano on the album) *2004 Kevin Mark, ''Rolling The Dice'' (Blue Hog) *2005 Brian Blain, ''Overqualified For The Blues'' (Northern Blues) *2007 Steve Grisbrook, ''Blue Sneakers'' (Independent) *2007 Jack DeKeyzer, ''Blues Thing'' (Blue Star) *2007 Kevin Mark, ''Cuttin' Loose'' (Blue Hog) *2012 Joe Mavety with the Fabulous Michael Fonfara in Orbit

References

External links

Michael Fonfara Page Downchild Website The Lincolns WebsiteRhinoceros Tribute Site
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fonfara, Michael 1946 births 2021 deaths Canadian rock keyboardists Canadian blues pianists People from Fort Erie, Ontario Musicians from Ontario The Electric Flag members Rhinoceros (band) members Rough Trade (band) members Jon and Lee & the Checkmates members Deaths from cancer in Ontario