Dennis Frederiksen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dennis Frederiksen
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Dennis Hardy Frederiksen |
| Also known as | Fergie Frederiksen, David London |
| Born | May 15, 1951 Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | January 18, 2014 (aged 62) Mound, Minnesota, U.S. |
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| Instruments | Vocals, keyboards, guitar |
| Years active |
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| Labels | Frontiers |
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Dennis Hardy "Fergie" Frederiksen (born May 15, 1951 – died January 18, 2014) was an American rock singer. He was famous for being the lead singer of several well-known bands like Trillion, Angel, LeRoux, and especially Toto. He also sang backup for Survivor. Fergie helped create hit songs for three different bands in three years: "American Heartbeat" with Survivor in 1982, "Carrie's Gone" with LeRoux in 1983, and "Stranger in Town" with Toto in 1984.
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Fergie's Early Music Journey
Dennis Frederiksen started playing music when he was just 13 years old. By age 15, he was performing in clubs with his band, the Common People, in Grand Rapids, MI. In 1975, while still in college, his friend Tommy Shaw asked him to join the band MSFunk as the lead singer. Tommy was leaving to join the famous band Styx.
Fergie sang with MSFunk for about a year. After that, he moved to Chicago and helped form a progressive rock band called Trillion. Their first album came out in 1978. Fergie helped write most of the songs on it. Trillion toured with big bands like Styx, Heart, and Aerosmith. During these shows, Fergie became known for doing cool back-flips to excite the crowd! He left Trillion after their first album.
Working as David London
After Trillion, Fergie started working on music for movies. In 1979, he signed with Casablanca Records and used the stage name David London. He sang two songs for the movie Can't Stop The Music. He also released a solo album in 1981. Casablanca Records closed down soon after, and Fergie stopped using the name David London. He then officially went by his childhood nickname, "Fergie."
Joining Angel and Survivor
While at Casablanca, Fergie met Gregg Giuffria from the band Angel. They started working on new music together. This is where Fergie met bassist Ricky Phillips, who became a long-time friend and music partner. They recorded some songs, but a full album wasn't released.
In 1982, Fergie was considered to be the new singer for the band Kansas. Even though he didn't get that job, the band's manager, Budd Carr, saw his talent. Soon after, his friends Jim Peterik and Frankie Sullivan from Survivor invited Fergie to their studio. Their lead singer was having voice problems, so Fergie helped by singing background vocals on their album Eye of the Tiger. This album became a huge hit, and Fergie's harmonies were on five songs, including "American Heartbeat."
Singing for LeRoux
In late 1982, Fergie became the new lead singer for the band LeRoux. Their album So Fired Up came out in 1983. It included the hit song "Carrie's Gone," which Fergie wrote after breaking up with his girlfriend, Carrie Hamilton. LeRoux later broke up but reformed with a new singer.
Becoming Toto's Lead Singer
Fergie's friend Ricky Phillips gave a demo of Fergie's singing to Jeff Porcaro, the drummer for Toto. Toto was looking for a new lead singer, and they invited Fergie to audition. He got the job! Toto then finished recording their album Isolation, which was released in 1984. It featured the popular song "Stranger in Town" and sold very well. The music video for "Stranger in Town" even got a nomination at the 1985 MTV Video Music Awards.
Fergie toured with Toto in 1985. He later left the band during the recording of their next album. He often said that his time with Toto was the best part of his music career.
Later Life and Music
After leaving Toto, Fergie took a break from music for about 12 years. He started working in the restaurant business with his father.
He returned to music in the mid-1990s and worked again with his friend Ricky Phillips. They released an album called Frederiksen/Phillips in 1995. Fergie also released his own solo album, Equilibrium, in 1999. He said, "I tried to do without [music] but I was miserable." This album was very popular in Europe and Japan. He also joined the band Mecca in 2002 and toured with groups like the World Classic Rockers.
Battling Illness and Final Albums
In June 2010, Fergie shared that he had been diagnosed with cancer. He had also been dealing with Hepatitis C. Even though his treatments made it hard to record, his friend Alex Ligertwood encouraged him to keep going. After starting treatment, Fergie released two more solo albums: Happiness is the Road and Any Given Moment.
Dennis "Fergie" Frederiksen passed away from liver cancer on January 18, 2014, at his home in Mound, Minnesota. He is remembered by his three sons and many fans.
Fergie's Main Albums
- 1978: Trillion: Trillion
- 1981: David London: David London
- 1983: LeRoux: So Fired Up
- 1984: Toto: Isolation
- 1995: Frederiksen/Phillips: Frederiksen/Phillips
- 1999: Fergie Frederiksen: Equilibrium
- 2002: Mecca: Mecca
- 2007: Frederiksen/Denander: Baptism By Fire
- 2011: Fergie Frederiksen: Happiness is the Road
- 2013: Fergie Frederiksen: Any Given Moment
Songs and Collaborations
Fergie also contributed to many other albums and projects, often singing background vocals or helping with songwriting. Some notable examples include:
- 1980: Village People: Can't Stop the Music (sang on "Samantha" and "Sound of the City")
- 1982: Survivor: Eye of the Tiger (background vocals)
- 1984: Toto: Dune (backing vocals)
- 1986: Toto: Fahrenheit (backing vocals)
- 1997: Joseph Williams: 3 (sang on "Goin' Home")
- 2000: World Classic Rockers: World Classic Rockers Vol. 1 (sang on 6 tracks)
