Anthony James Franklin (born 2 April 1962) is an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

rock musician, best known for his work on the

fretless A fretless guitar is a guitar with a fingerboard without frets, typically a standard instrument that has had the frets removed, though some custom-built and commercial fretless guitars are occasionally made. The classic fretless guitar was first ...

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

with Roy Harper,

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Paul Rodgers Paul Rodgers (born 17 December 1949) is a British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He was the lead vocalist of numerous bands, including Free, Bad Company, The Firm, and The Law. He has also performed as a solo artist, and co ...

, John Sykes' Blue Murder,

David Gilmour David Jon Gilmour ( ; born 6 March 1946) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and member of the rock band Pink Floyd. He joined as guitarist and co-lead vocalist in 1967, shortly before the departure of founding member Syd Barrett. P ...

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and most recently with

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Kenny Wayne Shepherd (born Kenny Wayne Brobst; June 12, 1977) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He has released several studio albums and experienced significant commercial success as a blues artist. Life and career Shepherd wa ...

Biography

Born into a musical family, Franklin first took the stage at age 5. He got his big break in 1984 as bassist in the supergroup The Firm, with

and

Chris Slade Chris Slade (born Christopher Slade Rees; 30 October 1946) is a Welsh musician, best known for playing for the Australian rock band AC/DC. He drummed for the band from 1989 to 1994, performing on their 1990 album '' The Razors Edge'' along with ...

. Franklin's television credits include the

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(U.K.), VH-1, MTV, Don't Forget Your Toothbrush (Finland), dozens of Japanese programs and more. Sony released Tony Franklin: Not Just Another Pretty Bass, Franklin's first sample loop library, in 2006. While maintaining his music career, from September 2003 through July 2011, Franklin served as Artist Relations Manager for Fender Musical Instruments Corporation and SWR. He returned to music performance full-time in mid-2011, when he joined

's band for the tour supporting the guitarist's 2011 album, How I Go. Franklin can be heard on Shepherd's album, "Goin' Home", released in Summer 2014.

Signature instruments

Franklin is mostly known for his work on fretless bass. In January 2006 Fender introduced the Tony Franklin Fretless Precision Bass, a distinctive instrument, with an alder body and modern C-shaped maple neck with an unfinished and unfretted ebony fingerboard with side dot position markers. Other features include vintage tuners, Hipshot Bass Xtender drop-D tuner on the E string, and three-way pickup selector switch that controls an American Series Precision Bass mid pickup and a Tony Franklin signature Jazz Bass bridge pickup with hex-screw pole pieces and ceramic bar magnets. Besides his fretless bass, Franklin has been doing sessions with the same fretted Precision Bass for many years. From 2008 to 2015 Fender offered a Tony Franklin Fretted Precision Bass based on his particular instrument. Frets aside it is very similar to the fretless model, with Precision and Jazz Bass pickups and a three-way selector switch.

Other career highlights

Prior to his work with The Firm, Franklin toured and recorded with English folk/rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper, appearing on eight of his albums between 1982 and 2013. In 1996, Franklin played on long-time friend Donna Lewis's album '' Now in a Minute'', which spawned the worldwide smash hit single “

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". Substantial touring followed the release of the single throughout the U.S., U.K., Japan, Europe and Canada. In 1997, Franklin toured the world with

as part of the "Last Hurrah" tour. Franklin cites

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and

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as his main influences.

Discography

* Roy Harper - '' Work of Heart'' (Public Records, 1982) * Roy Harper & Jimmy Page - ''

Whatever Happened to Jugula? ''Whatever Happened to Jugula?'' is the thirteenth studio album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released on March 4, 1985, through Beggars Banquet Records. Jimmy Page contributes. History With ...

'' (

Beggar's Banquet ''Beggars Banquet'' is the 7th British and 9th American studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 6 December 1968 by Decca Records in the United Kingdom and London Records in the United States. It was the first Ro ...

, 1984) *

- ''

'' (

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 ...

, 1985) * The Firm - ''

Mean Business ''Mean Business'' is the second and final studio album by The Firm, released by Atlantic Records on 3 February 1986. Repeating the same bluesy formula as on the first album, '' The Firm'' (1985), ''Mean Business'' did not achieve the same comm ...

'' (Atlantic, 1986) *

- '' Secret Policeman's Third Ball'' (

Virgin Video Virgin Group Ltd. is a British multinational venture capital conglomerate founded by Richard Branson and Nik Powell in February 1970. Virgin Group's date of incorporation is listed as 1989 by the Companies House, who class it as a holding c ...

, 1987) *

- '' Outrider'' ( Geffen, 1988) * Roy Harper - ''In Between Every Line'' ( EMI, 1987) * Roy Harper - ''

Descendants of Smith ''Descendants of Smith'' is the fourteenth studio album by Roy Harper (singer), Roy Harper, released in 1988. In 1994 it was re-issued under the title, ''Garden of Uranium'' with an identical track list but new cover artwork. History As a publ ...

'' (EMI, 1988) * Blue Murder - '' Blue Murder'' (Geffen, 1989) * Roy Harper - ''

Once Once means a one-time occurrence. Once may refer to: Music * ''Once'' (Pearl Jam song), a 1991 song from the album ''Ten'' * ''Once'' (Roy Harper album), a 1990 album by Roy Harper * ''Once'' (The Tyde album), a 2001 debut album by The Tyd ...

'' (

Awareness Awareness is the state of being conscious of something. More specifically, it is the ability to directly know and perceive, to feel, or to be cognizant of events. Another definition describes it as a state wherein a subject is aware of some in ...

, 1990) * Don Dokken - '' Up from the Ashes'' (Geffen, 1990) * Glenn Hughes - '' L.A. Blues Authority Volume II: Glenn Hughes - Blues'' ( Shrapnel, 1992) * Roy Harper - '' Death or Glory?'' (

, 1992) *

Gary Hoey Gary Hoey (born August 23, 1960) is an American hard rock and latterly blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. He has recorded over 20 albums and had five Top 20 ''Billboard'' hits. Early life and early career Hoey was born in Lowell, Ma ...

- '' Animal Instinct'' (

Reprise In music, a reprise ( , ; from the verb 'to resume') is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the 18th century—was simply any repe ...

, 1993) * Blue Murder - '' Nothin' But Trouble'' (Geffen, 1993) *

- ''

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'' (Reprise, 1994) * Tony MacAlpine - ''

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'' (Shrapnel, 1994) * Driver - ''Driver'' (Trauma / Atlantic, 1994) *

Jeff Beck Geoffrey Arnold Beck (born 24 June 1944) is an English rock guitarist. He rose to prominence with the Yardbirds and after fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. In 1975, he switched to a mainly instrumental style, with a fo ...

Tribute - ''

Beckology ''Beckology'' by guitarist Jeff Beck was released in 1991 as a 3 CD career retrospective. Beckology covers the work of a guitarist widely acknowledged as one of the most influential and gifted exponents of the electric guitar, from early days ...

'' (Shrapnel, 1995) *

Lana Lane Lana Lane is an American rock singer. She sings lead in her eponymous band, and has sung backing vocals for the band Rocket Scientists and guest sung on Ayreon and Erik Norlander albums. She is married to music producer Erik Norlander, who co- ...

- "Love Is An Illusion" (Think Tank Media, 1995) * Gary Hoey - ''Gary Hoey'' ( BMG, 1995) * Tony MacAlpine - ''

Evolution Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...

'' (Shrapnel, 1995) * Celestial Winds - ''Oceans of Love'' (Universe Music, 1995) * MOM: Music for our Mother Ocean - ''Benefit compilation'' (

Interscope Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mu ...

, 1996) *

Warren DeMartini Warren Justin DeMartini (born April 10, 1963) is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist for glam metal band Ratt, which achieved international stardom in the 1980s. Early life DeMartini was born on April 10, 1963, in Chicago, ...

- ''Surf's Up!'' ( Polydor Japan, 1996) *

Carmine Appice Carmine Appice ( , born December 15, 1946) is an American rock drummer. He is best known for his associations with Vanilla Fudge; Cactus; the power trio Beck, Bogert & Appice; Rod Stewart; King Kobra; and Blue Murder. He is also Vinny Appice's ...

- ''Guitar Zeus'' (Apalon Japan, 1996) *

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- '' True Obsessions'' (Shrapnel, 1996) *

Naomi Tamura is a Japanese pop singer and songwriter who made her solo debut in 1994 with the song ''Jiyuu no Hashi''. She is best known for singing theme songs for popular Anime series such as ''Yuzurenai Negai'' for '' Magic Knight Rayearth'' and ''Yuragu ...

- ''N'' (Polydor Japan, 1996) * Donna Lewis - '' Now in a Minute'' (Atlantic, 1996) *

Graham Bonnet Graham Bonnet (born 23 December 1947) is an English rock singer. He has recorded and performed as a solo artist and as a member of several hard rock and heavy metal bands including Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Alcatrazz, and Impellitteri. ...

- "Underground" (Victor, 1997) * John Sykes - '' Loveland'' ( Mercury Japan, 1997) * Gary Hoey - ''Bug Alley'' (Surfdog, 1997) * Various - '' Dragon Attack: A Tribute to Queen'' (De-Rock, 1997) * Carmine Appice - ''Guitar Zeus 2'' (Polydor Japan, 1997) * Various - ''Thunderbolt: A Tribute to AC/DC'' (De-Rock, 1997) * Pearl - ''Pearl'' (Polydor Japan, 1997) * Sounds of Wood and Steel - ''Compilation'' (

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, 1998) * Pearl - ''4 Infinity'' (East West Japan, 1998) * Gary Hoey - "Hocus Pocus Live" - (Surfdog, 1998) * Donna Lewis - '' Blue Planet'' (Atlantic, 1998) * Various - ''

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'' (Electric Angel Japan, 1998) *

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- ''

Planet X Following the discovery of the planet Neptune in 1846, there was considerable speculation that another planet might exist beyond its orbit. The search began in the mid-19th century and continued at the start of the 20th with Percival Lowell's ...

'' (Shrapnel, 1999) * Graham Bonnet - "The Day I Went Mad" (JVC, 1999) *

- ''Queen of the Ocean'' (1999) * Pearl - "Live in Japan" (Public Red, 1999) * Various - "Humanary Stew - A Tribute To Alice Cooper" (Cleopatra Records, 1999) *

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- "Oblivion Days" (1999) *

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- ''Human Love'' ( Warner, 2000) *

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- '' Into the Light'' (EMI, 2000) * Lana Lane - ''Secrets of Astrology'' (2000) * Lana Lane - ''Ballads Collection II'' (2000) * Various - ''Metallic Assault: A Tribute to Metallica'' (2000) * Tony Franklin - ''Brave New Tomorrow'' ( JVC/Victor Entertainment, 2000) *

Erik Norlander Erik Norlander (born 6 February 1967) is an American musician known for his work in the progressive rock genre. From 2007 to 2014, he was the touring and recording keyboardist for Asia Featuring John Payne. He is also the managing director of ...

- ''Into the Sunset'' (2000) * Roy Harper - "Hats Off" (Science Friction, 2001) *

- ''

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'' (2001) *

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- "Alter Ego" (2001) * Lana Lane - ''Love Is an Illusion Special Edition'' (2001) *

Willie Waldman Banyan is an art rock/alternative rock band with heavy jazz and funk influence based in Los Angeles, California. History The leader and co-founder is Stephen Perkins, who first played drums for Jane's Addiction (1986–1991, plus later regroupi ...

- ''Trumpet Ride'' (2002) * Lana Lane - ''Project Shangri-La'' (2002) * Various - ''An All Star Line Up Performing the Songs of Pink Floyd'' (2002) * Lana Lane - ''Covers Collection'' (2002) * Tony Franklin - ''Wonderland'' (JVC/Victor Entertainment - July 2003) * Derek Sherinian - ''

Black Utopia ''Black Utopia'' is the third solo album by keyboard player Derek Sherinian. In addition to the returning members Zakk Wylde, Simon Phillips and Steve Lukather, three new musicians joined Sherinian: bass guitarist Billy Sheehan and guitarists ...

'' (2003) * Erik Norlander - "Music Machine" (2003) * Derek Sherinian - ''

Mythology Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narra ...

'' (2004) * Chris Catena - ''Freak Out!'' (Imr/Frontiers Rec., 2004) *

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- ''Buoni o Cattivi'' (number 1 album in Italy, 2004) *

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- '' Calma Apparente'' (number 1 album in Italy, 2005) *

Kelly Keeling Kelly Keeling was born on June 25, 1966, and is an American musician and songwriter. Keeling started playing at the age of 14 and began his career as the lead singer of the American heavy metal band Baton Rouge. Throughout his career Keeling w ...

- "Giving Sight to the Eye" (2005) *

- ''

Blood of the Snake ''Blood of the Snake'' is the fifth solo album by keyboard player Derek Sherinian. It has contributions from Billy Idol, Zakk Wylde, Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash, John Petrucci of Dream Theater, in addition to previous collaborators Simon Phill ...

'' (2006) *

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- '' Rehab'' (2006) * Lana Lane - ''Gemini'' (2006) * Appice / Travers - "Bazooka" (2006) * Carmine Appice - "Ultimate Guitar Zeus" (2006) * Sir Lord Baltimore - '' Sir Lord Baltimore III Raw'' (2006) *

Frankie Banali Frankie Banali (November 14, 1951 – August 20, 2020) was an American rock drummer, most widely known for his work with heavy metal band Quiet Riot. His signature tone and iconic drum intros first became famous on their album ''Metal Health' ...

/ Various - "24/7/365 - A Tribute To Led Zeppelin (2007) * Eros Ramazzotti - "E2" (Sony / BMG, 2007) * Terry Ilous - "Here And Gone" (2007) * Vasco Rossi - "Il mondo che vorrei" (2008) * Menchen - ''Red Rock'' (guitarist Bill Menchen's project, 2008) * Chris Catena - ''Discovery'' (Escape/Frontiers Rec., 2008) * Tadashi Goto - ''Innervisions'' (SPV/Progrock Rec., 2008) * We Wish You a Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year - ''O' Christmas Tree'' (Armoury Rec., 2008) *

- '' Molecular Heinosity'' (2009) * Tim Ripper Owens - "Play My Game" (2009) * Freakshow - "Freakshow" (2009) * Carmine Appice - "Guitar Heroes (2010) * Thomas Tomsen - ''Sunflickers'' (2010) * Vasco Rossi - "Vivere o niente" (2011) *

- '' Oceana'' (2011) * Rob Moratti - "Victory" (2011) * Docker's Guild - ''The Mystic Technocracy - Season 1: The Age of Ignorance'' (2012) * DR.U (Chris Catena) - ''Alieni Alienati'' (Valery Rec./Frontiers/Edel 2012) * Roy Harper - '' Man and Myth'' (2013) *

- "Goin' Home" (2014) * Joel Hoekstra's 13 - '' Dying To Live'' (2015) * Rob Moratti - ''Transcendent'' (2016) * Rob Moratti - ''Renaissance'' (2019) * The Feckers - ''Live To Fight Another Day'' (2020) * Rob Moratti - ''Paragon'' (2020) *

- '' The Phoenix'' (2020) * Chris Catena's Rock City Tribe - ''Truth in Unity'' (2020) * Leo Carnicella - ''Until a new dawn'' (2021) * Joel Hoekstra's 13 - ''Running Games'' (2021) * Leo Carnicella -
Super~Sargasso Sea
' (2022) * Derek Sherinian- ''

Vortex In fluid dynamics, a vortex ( : vortices or vortexes) is a region in a fluid in which the flow revolves around an axis line, which may be straight or curved. Vortices form in stirred fluids, and may be observed in smoke rings, whirlpools in ...

'' (2022)

Reference

External links

Official Tony Franklin website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Franklin, Tony 1962 births Living people People from Derby English rock bass guitarists Male bass guitarists English heavy metal bass guitarists English male singers English rock singers Blue Murder (band) members Whitesnake members Quiet Riot members The Firm (rock band) members