Thousands of Richard Frankz fans worldwide can tell you that there are two ways to interpret the title of The Traveler, the veteran singer-songwriter's rootsy, Southern pop/rock flavored follow-up to his 2006 indie hit Point of View.
First is the geography of his life. Born in Pittsburgh, he was orphaned at two and raised with his two brothers and four other children in a foster home in Savannah, Georgia, where he grew up with equal affinities for country and rock. Now living in Illinois, the man some call a "country-jazz troubadour" has carved out an exciting niche as an indie artist (and master balladeer) after a long career opening gigs and filling in on guitar for some of the biggest pop and rock acts of all time.
"I believe that within each and every one of us is a journey yet to be traveled, a story yet to be told, and a song yet to be written," he says. "I was blessed at an early age with the gift of music, and for that I am truly grateful. We live our lives through the messages found in music. We all have at some point in life turned to music to heal, embrace, love or just simply enjoy. Through the emails and letters of my dear fans, I am deeply honored to know that my music has touched the hearts and souls of so many people, and I am even more inspired to continue to share the songs within my soul."
Frankz has become so popular on the independent radio circuit these past few years that even as "Just Being Me" and "Southern Summer Nights" from The Traveler are charting on the HotDisc Top 40, three songs from Point of View-"Knew You At All," "Loved You So" and "After The Fall"-continue to be locks on the top three spots on the Pop chart on SongVault.fm. Hotdisc Limited is one of the most successful media companies in Britain providing audio and visual content for broadcasters throughout the U.K. and Europe via Sky Digitla and the internet; it's also the leading promotional company for country music in Europe. SongVault is an international internet radio outlet boasting "all the best independent music all the time."
Frankz's most popular track on iTunes, the heartfelt dedication to his daughter "I Ask (Amanda)," has quickly become a top father-daughter dance song for brides across America. Like his previous two albums (including his 2003 debut Songs Within My Soul), The Traveler also features a dedication to the singer's son Franke, "Just Spending Time (With You)." Other key tracks listeners worldwide are embracing include the wistful and reflective "Time Of Our Lives," the soaring, optimistic "My Someday" and the old fashioned blues-country waltz "Still Loving Me."
Beyond the beautiful family ties and tender-hearted reflections, Frankz has also bared his soul and embraced many worthwhile charitable causes through his music. Written about the tragedy of domestic violence, "I Cry Too" from Songs Within My Soul charted in Billboard and received heavy airplay in nearly 30 states; he performed it at the Christian Country Music Association (CCMA) Awards. That same recording featured "Stand On Your Own," which he wrote for the D.A.R.E. program to inspire young people to stay off drugs; it was a #1 song on several radio stations in Frankz's home state of Pennsylvania for nine weeks. He also dedicated his song "Some Day" to the Relay For Life event put on by the American Cancer Society.
Reverend Doctor Paul Davis, the first European director of the USA's Gospel Music Association and founder of New Music Enterprises, perfectly captures the rich essence of Frankz's artistry when he says: "In country music culture terms, it doesn't come any more innovative and progressive than this. Despite the genre complexity, Richard's autobiographical poetry-and-music can appeal to the man-on-the-street or the man-in-the-field who aspires to an acquired higher taste. Direct and simple, his artistic secret and challenge is keeping things so to what the ordinary guy can understand and digest. His style-of-music is a rebel, a non-conformist, an original, one who prefers to do his own thing."
As Frankz, who performed a couple years ago with Emerson Drive, Confederate Railroad, David Lee Murphy and Anita Cochran at the Jasper Jam in Jasper, Alabama, gears up to hit the road again, he is overwhelmed by the positive and joyful responses his music has received from around the world. Making no apologies for his classic sense of heartfelt, straightforward songwriting, he says, "In many ways, I believe our culture has lost the passion of music that speaks for generations and what lies in the hearts of all men and women. Those of us who have something significant to say that goes beyond BS, shooting people and sex, now have a great opportunity to stand up and let the world know there are songwriters who still care about that passion. Call me old fashioned, but I'm happy to be one of the singers dedicated to bringing it back. It's okay to cry and be romantic sometimes. I know when I've written a song that achieves this when I come back to it after a day away and it truly stops my heart."
