Frank Marino facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frank Marino
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Francesco Antonio Marino |
| Born | November 20, 1954 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1970–2021 |
| Associated acts | Mahogany Rush |
Francesco Antonio Marino (born November 20, 1954) is a Canadian guitarist and singer. He is famous for leading the hard rock band Mahogany Rush. Many people compare his guitar playing to the legendary Jimi Hendrix. He is often called one of the most talented but overlooked guitarists of the 1970s. In 2021, Frank Marino shared that he was retiring from music.
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Frank Marino's Early Life and Music Career
Frank Marino started playing drums when he was only five years old. When he was about 13 or 14, he switched to playing the guitar. His guitar style was greatly inspired by Jimi Hendrix. The Gibson website even said he was "carrying Jimi's psychedelic torch."
Marino often played famous Hendrix songs like "Purple Haze" and "All Along The Watchtower." Some people said he copied Hendrix too much. But Marino said he didn't try to sound like Hendrix on purpose. He explained that his unique style "just came naturally."
Mahogany Rush and Touring
Frank Marino's band, Mahogany Rush, became quite popular in the 1970s. Their music appeared on the Billboard charts. They also toured a lot, playing concerts with famous bands. These included Aerosmith and Ted Nugent.
In 1978, Mahogany Rush performed at a big music festival called California Jam II. Towards the end of the 1970s, the band's name changed to "Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush."
Solo Work and Later Years
After Mahogany Rush broke up for a short time, Frank Marino released two solo albums. These albums came out in the early 1980s. The band later got back together and kept performing through the 1980s and 1990s.
In 1990, Marino opened his own music recording studio. It was called Starbase Studio and was located in Montreal, Canada.
Marino formed a new band in 2000. He was surprised by how many fans he found online. In 2005, he told Guitar Player magazine, "I always knew we had fans, I just didn't know I'd find half a million of them on the Web." He released an album called Eye of the Storm and went on tour again. His new shows featured more improvisation.
Retirement from Music
Frank Marino had not played live for ten years. He planned a tour for 2020, but it was delayed because of the pandemic. He rescheduled the tour for 2021. However, on June 30, 2021, he announced his retirement. He said he was retiring due to a medical condition that he did not share details about.
Marino also played on blues recordings with other artists. He contributed to tribute albums for famous blues musicians like Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Frank Marino's Guitar Style and Gear
Besides Jimi Hendrix, Frank Marino was influenced by several other guitarists. These included John Cipollina, Robby Krieger, Duane Allman, Johnny Winter, and Carlos Santana. His playing style mixes blues, heavy rock, and some jazz fusion techniques.
One of his cool tricks is playing a guitar lick live as if it were played backwards. He does this using only a volume pedal and a delay effect. Many guitar players have been influenced by his style. These include Zakk Wylde, Joe Bonamassa, Eric Gales, Vinnie Moore, and Paul Gilbert.
Guitar Player magazine recognized his unique guitar sound. They called him a "full-spectrum guitar god." They put him in the same group as guitar legends like Jeff Beck, Eddie Van Halen, and The Edge.
Guitar Equipment
Frank Marino mainly plays Gibson SG guitars. Some of his SGs have their original PAF pickups. Others have DiMarzio humbucker pickups. He also has an SG with single-coil DiMarzio pickups.
He is known for having very complex guitar setups. Guitar Player mentioned that he has "an entire pedalboard... assigned to hold the expression pedals that control the parameters of the effects on another pedalboard." In the past, he even built his own amplifiers to get his perfect sound. He also used Fender Twin amplifiers. Currently, he uses a preamp he built himself, which sounds like a Fender. He connects it to any available power amp, through a 2x15" Fane speaker cabinet.
Frank Marino's Personal Life
Frank Marino has both Italian and Syrian family background. He is a member of the Syriac Orthodox Church.
Frank Marino is the uncle of Danny Marino. Danny is the lead guitarist for the Canadian metal band The Agonist.
Frank Marino's Music Albums
Solo Albums
- 1981: The Power of Rock 'n' Roll
- 1982: Juggernaut
- 1986: Full Circle
- 1990: From the Hip
- 1999: Guitar Heroes Vol 4 – Frank Marino Stories of a Hero
Albums with Mahogany Rush
Other Recordings and Collections
- April Wine - The Whole World's Goin' Crazy (1976)
- California Jam II (6 CD set) (1978)
- Hats off to Stevie Ray (various artists) (1993)
- Fit for A. King (various artists) (1993)
- Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir & the Jubilation Big Band – I'll Take You There (track 9) (2005)
- Revolution – A Rock and Roll Tribute to The Beatles (various artists) (2005)
- Vargas Blues Band – Flamenco Blues Experience (track 2) (2008)
- Nos stars chantent le blues à Montréal – track 5. Who do you love? – Jonas (avec Frank Marino) (2010)
- Just Gettin' Started – track 4. Wild Horses – Nanette Workman (2012)
Tribute Albums to Frank Marino
- Secondhand Smoke: A Tribute to Frank Marino (2005)
This album features tracks by many guitarists. Some of them are George Lynch, Ronnie Montrose, and Jennifer Batten.
See also
In Spanish: Frank Marino para niños
