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Frederick "Rick" Franklin (born March 16, 1952) is an American
Piedmont blues Piedmont blues (also known as East Coast, or Southeastern blues) refers primarily to a guitar style, which is characterized by a fingerpicking approach in which a regular, alternating thumb bass string rhythmic pattern supports a syncopated melo ...
guitarist, singer and songwriter. With various other musicians, Franklin has released four albums to date and works as a blues musicologist.


Life and career

Franklin was born in
Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Downto ...
, United States, in a military family. After traveling across the United States and the United Kingdom in his early years, his father's retirement from military service saw the family finally settle down in Virginia in 1968. The young Franklin was influenced by the music of Blind Blake, Bo Carter, Mississippi John Hurt, Big Bill Broonzy, Georgia Tom and Tampa Red. He relocated to
Arlington County, Virginia Arlington County is a County (United States), county in the Virginia, Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the Washington, D.C., District of Co ...
, where he still resides and, since 1981, has performed his version of Piedmont blues at various community events, clubs and music festivals. His latter day musical associates included
John Cephas Cephas & Wiggins were an American acoustic blues duo, composed of the guitarist John Cephas (September 4, 1930 – March 4, 2009) and the harmonica player Phil Wiggins (born May 8, 1954). They were known for playing Piedmont blues. Histo ...
,
John Jackson John or Johnny Jackson may refer to: Entertainment Art * John Baptist Jackson (1701–1780), British artist * John Jackson (painter) (1778–1831), British painter * John Jackson (engraver) (1801–1848), English wood engraver * John Richardson ...
, and
Archie Edwards Archie L. Edwards (September 4, 1918 – June 18, 1998) was an American Piedmont blues guitarist, who in a sporadic career spanning several decades worked with Mississippi John Hurt, Skip James, and John Jackson. His best-known recordings are ...
. In addition to performing, Franklin has taught blues guitar playing, and been on the Euroblues Promotions Blues Week, Port Townsend Blues Week, and the Augusta Heritage Center Blues Week faculties. Franklin was an executive board member of the DC Blues Society and helped to organize and appeared at the first annual DC Blues Society Blues Festival. He has also contributed to the periodical publications from the DC Blues Society. His festival appearances include the Washington Folk Festival, Northern Virginia Folk Festival, Columbia Pike Blues Festival, Herndon Blues Festival,
Old Songs Festival The Old Songs Festival is an American annual folk music festival and dance festival held at Altamont Fairgrounds in Altamont, New York. History In 1981, the first Old Songs Festival was held at Tawasentha Park in Guilderland, New York. It grew ...
(
Altamont, New York Altamont is a village located in the town of Guilderland in Albany County, New York, United States. The village is in the western part of the town. The population was 1,720 at the 2010 census. The name means "high mountain." History In colon ...
), Port Townsend Country Blues Festival ( Port Townsend, Washington), Kastav Blues Festival (
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...
), plus the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Festival (
Bristol, Virginia Bristol is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,219. It is the twin city of Bristol, Tennessee, just across the state line, which runs down the middle of its main street, State S ...
). In addition to solo appearances, Franklin has performed as a duo with the harmonica player
Phil Wiggins Cephas & Wiggins were an American acoustic blues duo, composed of the guitarist John Cephas (September 4, 1930 – March 4, 2009) and the harmonica player Phil Wiggins (born May 8, 1954). They were known for playing Piedmont blues. His ...
. He has appeared throughout the Washington metropolitan area. In 1998, Franklin with Neil Harpe recorded the acoustic album, ''Doin' The Dozens''. The expanded line-up of Franklin, Harpe, and Usilton released ''Hokum Blues'' the following year, and appeared on cable television for the Arlington, Fairfax and Montgomery Counties. The acoustic blues trio billed as Rick Franklin and His Delta Blues Boys concentrate on music and songs from the 1920s and 1930s, and have played monthly in Arlington since 2005. ''Searching for Frank'' (2007) was Franklin's third album, confirming his status as a blues musicologist by reviving the work of Frank Stokes. It was a joint project with local musician Mike Baytop. Franklin's most recent album, ''Dancing With My Baby'', a work involving Tom Mindte, was released by
Patuxent Music Patuxent Music is an independent record label in Rockville, Maryland. History Bluegrass musician Tom Mindte started recording music by other artists in 1984 with a reel to reel recorder in his father's air conditioning shop. In 1990 Tom opened ...
in September 2013.


Discography


Albums


See also

* List of Piedmont blues musicians


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Franklin, Rick 1952 births Living people American blues guitarists American blues singers 20th-century African-American male singers 20th-century American singers 21st-century American singers Piedmont blues musicians Musicians from Alexandria, Virginia Songwriters from Virginia Guitarists from Virginia American male guitarists 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male singers 21st-century American male singers African-American songwriters African-American guitarists 21st-century African-American male singers American male songwriters