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 as the leader of the Canadian hard rock band Mahogany Rush. Many people compare his guitar playing to Jimi Hendrix. He is often called one of the most underrated guitarists from the 1970s. In 2021, Frank Marino announced that he was retiring from music.
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Frank Marino's Life and Music Career
Frank Marino started playing drums when he was five years old. He began playing guitar around age 13 or 14. There's a story that he was inspired by Jimi Hendrix after a bad experience. However, Frank Marino has always said this story is not true.
Even so, his guitar playing style is very much like Hendrix's. People have said he "carries Jimi's psychedelic torch." Marino often plays cover versions of Hendrix's famous songs. These include "Purple Haze" and "All Along The Watchtower". Some people have criticized him for sounding too much like Hendrix. But Marino says his style came naturally to him. He didn't try to copy anyone.
Mahogany Rush: The Band's Journey
His band, Mahogany Rush, was quite popular in the 1970s. Their albums appeared on the Billboard music charts. They also toured a lot. They performed with famous bands like Aerosmith and Ted Nugent. In 1978, they played at a big music festival called California Jam II.
By the end of the 1970s, the band's name changed to "Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush." Later, Mahogany Rush broke up for a while. In the early 1980s, Marino released two solo albums. The band then got back together. They continued to perform throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In 1990, Marino opened his own music recording studio. It was called Starbase Studio and was in Montreal, Canada.
Later Years and Retirement
Frank Marino formed a band again in 2000. He released an album called Eye of the Storm. He also went on tour again, playing more improvised shows. After not playing live for ten years, Frank planned a tour for 2020. This tour was postponed because of the pandemic. He rescheduled it for 2021. However, on June 30, 2021, he announced his retirement. This was due to a medical condition that he did not share details about. He also played on blues recordings with other artists. These included tribute albums for Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Frank Marino's Guitar Style and Gear
Besides Jimi Hendrix, Frank Marino was influenced by other great guitarists. These include John Cipollina, Robby Krieger, Duane Allman, Johnny Winter, and Carlos Santana. His playing style mixes blues, heavy rock, and some jazz fusion techniques. One cool trick he does live is playing a guitar part that sounds like it's played backward. He does this using only a volume pedal and a delay effect.
His unique style has influenced many other guitar players. Some of these include Zakk Wylde, Joe Bonamassa, and Eric Gales. Guitar Player magazine has praised his guitar sound. They called him a "full-spectrum guitar god."
What Guitars and Equipment Does Frank Marino Use?
Frank Marino mostly plays Gibson SG guitars. He uses them with their original pickups. He also has some SGs with different types of pickups called humbuckers. He is known for having very complex setups for his sound. He has a large pedalboard just for controlling effects on another pedalboard! In the past, he even built his own amplifiers to get the sound he wanted. He also uses Fender Twin amplifiers. Currently, he uses a special preamp he built himself. He connects it to any available power amplifier and a large speaker cabinet.
Frank Marino's Personal Life
Frank Marino has Italian and Syrian family roots. 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
With Mahogany Rush
- For a full list of Mahogany Rush albums, see the Mahogany Rush page.
Other Recordings
- 1976: April Wine - The Whole World's Goin' Crazy
- 1978: California Jam II (6 CD set)
- 1993: Hats off to Stevie Ray (various artists)
- 1993: Fit for A. King (various artists)
- 2005: Revolution – A Rock and Roll Tribute to The Beatles (various artists)
Images for kids
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Frank Marino
See also
In Spanish: Frank Marino para niños
