Carol Fran facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carol Fran
Fran in 2014
Background information
Birth name	Carol Augustus Anthony
Born	(1933-10-23)October 23, 1933 Lafayette, Louisiana, U.S.
Died	September 1, 2021(2021-09-01) (aged 87) Lafayette, Louisiana, U.S.
Genres	Electric blues, soul blues, swamp pop
Occupation(s)	Singer, pianist, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, piano
Years active	Mid 1950s–2021
Labels	Excello, Lyric, Port, Roulette, Black Top, JSP, others
Associated acts	Guitar Slim, Nappy Brown, Lee Dorsey, Joe Tex, Clarence Hollimon, Guitar Shorty

Carol Fran (born Carol Augustus Anthony; October 23, 1933 – September 1, 2021) was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. She was known for her soul blues music. Carol Fran released many popular songs in the 1950s and 1960s. Later, she often performed with her husband, Clarence Hollimon. She released six albums starting in 1992. Four of these albums were with Hollimon.

About Carol Fran's Life and Music

Carol Augustus Anthony was born in Lafayette, Louisiana. She started her singing career with Don Conway. Later, she moved to New Orleans. There, she married a saxophone player named Bob Francois. Her stage name, Carol Fran, came from a shorter version of his last name.

Carol Fran became well-known on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. She also went on a music tour in Mexico. Her first song, "Emmitt Lee," was recorded in 1957. It was released by Excello Records. She released three more songs after that.

When her songs did not become big hits, Carol Fran sang with other musicians. She performed with Guitar Slim. After he passed away in 1959, she sang with Nappy Brown, Lee Dorsey, and Joe Tex.

Recording New Songs

Lyric Records then offered Carol Fran a music contract. She recorded a swamp pop version of "The Great Pretender" in 1962. In 1964, she released her version of "Crying in the Chapel." This song was re-released by Josie Records. However, Elvis Presley also released his own version, which made it harder for her song to become a big hit.

Her next song, "You Can't Stop Me," had a special musical arrangement by Sammy Lowe. Another song, "A World Without You," written by Bobby Darin, also did not sell many copies. After releasing "Any Day Love Walks In," she went back to performing live concerts.

In 1967, she signed with Roulette Records. She released her version of Brook Benton's "So Close." Still, she did not find the big success she hoped for. Many of her recordings from this time were never released. Feeling a bit sad, she focused on performing in clubs back in Louisiana.

Later Career and Collaborations

In 1982, Carol Fran met Clarence Hollimon, a talented guitarist. They got married a year later and moved to Texas. They started performing concerts together. In 1992, Black Top Records released their album called Soul Sensation.

In 1993, Carol Fran also sang on Guitar Shorty's album, Topsy Turvy. In 1996, Carol Fran and Clarence Hollimon performed at the Long Beach Blues Festival.

Her next album was See There! in 1994. Then, she worked with Hollimon again for the album It's About Time, released in 2000. Sadly, Clarence Hollimon passed away that same year. Carol Fran then moved back to Lafayette. She recorded her first solo album, Fran-tastic, in New Orleans in October 2001. It was released the next year.

Awards and Documentaries

Carol Fran appeared in a documentary film in 2015 called I Am the Blues.

In 2013, Carol Fran received the National Heritage Fellowship. This is a very high honor in the folk and traditional arts in the United States. It is given by the National Endowment for the Arts.

In 2020, Carol Fran released her first new album in 18 years. It was called All Of My Life: The Saint Agnes Sessions. This album was released as an LP (a type of vinyl record) by the Jazz Foundation of America. In the same year, a documentary film about her, Carol Fran: Tous Les Jours C'est Pas La Même, Every Day Is Not The Same, was released by Coulee Productions.

Carol Fran passed away on September 1, 2021, in Lafayette, Louisiana. She was 87 years old.

Carol Fran's Music Albums

Here are the albums Carol Fran released:

Studio Albums

Compilation Albums

These albums include songs that were released before, often with other artists.

Images for kids

• 

  Henry Gray and Carol Fran performing at the Festival International in Lafayette, Louisiana in 2010.

See also

• List of electric blues musicians
• List of soul-blues musicians