Frankie Ford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Frankie Ford
Ford honored as King of the Krewe du Vieux, 2009
Background information
Birth name	Vincent Francis Guzzo, Jr.
Born	(1939-08-04)August 4, 1939 Gretna, Louisiana, U.S.
Died	September 28, 2015(2015-09-28) (aged 76) Gretna, Louisiana, U.S.
Genres	Rock and roll, R&B, pop
Occupation(s)	Singer
Instruments	Piano
Years active	1957–2015
Labels	Ace, Imperial, Briarmeade

Frankie Ford was an American rock and roll and rhythm and blues singer. His real name was Vincent Francis Guzzo, Jr. He was born on August 4, 1939, and passed away on September 28, 2015. He is best known for his big hit song "Sea Cruise" from 1959.

About Frankie Ford

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Frankie Ford was born in Gretna, Louisiana. This town is right across the Mississippi River from New Orleans. He was adopted by Vincent and Anna Guzzo. From a young age, Frankie loved to sing and dance.

When he was in high school, he joined a band called the Syncopators. He was their singer and played the piano. A manager named Joe Caronna discovered him. Joe helped Frankie get a record deal with Ace Records. That's when he started using the stage name Frankie Ford. His first songs were recorded in 1958.

The Hit Song "Sea Cruise"

Frankie toured around Louisiana. Then, he recorded his most famous song, "Sea Cruise." This song was first written and recorded by Huey "Piano" Smith. Frankie added his own singing to the song. The recording also had fun sounds like bells and ships' horns.

Huey "Piano" Smith already had a song on the music charts. So, the record company decided to release Frankie's version of "Sea Cruise." It became a huge success! The song reached number 14 on the US pop chart and number 11 on the R&B chart. It sold over one million copies. This earned Frankie a special award called a gold disc. A gold disc means a song has sold a lot of copies.

Later Career and Tours

After "Sea Cruise," Frankie Ford traveled all over the United States. He released more songs, but they were not as popular. Some of his other songs that made it onto the charts were "Alimony" and "Time After Time." He also recorded a fun song called "Morgus the Magnificent."

In 1962, Frankie joined the military. He performed for troops in places like Japan, Vietnam, and Korea. After his military service, he continued to record music sometimes. He mostly performed in clubs around New Orleans.

Frankie Ford also appeared in the 1978 movie American Hot Wax. He toured in Britain and Europe. In 1989, he recorded an album in London called New Orleans Dynamo. He kept making music and performing throughout the 1990s and 2000s.

Frankie also owned a record label called Briarmeade. This label released many of his songs and albums. On May 16, 2010, Frankie Ford was honored. He was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.

Frankie Ford passed away in Gretna, Louisiana, on September 28, 2015. He was 76 years old.

Frankie Ford's Music

Singles (Popular Songs)

Here are some of the songs Frankie Ford released:

• "Cheatin' Woman" / "The Last One to Cry" (1958)
• "Sea Cruise" / "Roberta" (1959) - This song reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 11 on the R&B chart.
• "Alimony" / "Can't Tell My Heart (What To Do)" (1959) - This song reached number 97 on the Hot 100 chart.
• "Time After Time" / "I Want To Be Your Man" (1960) - This song reached number 75 on the Hot 100 chart.
• "Chinatown" / "What's Going On" (1960)
• "You Talk Too Much" / "If You've Got Troubles" (1960) - This song reached number 87 on the Hot 100 chart.
• "My Southern Belle" / "The Groom" (1960)
• "Seventeen" / "Dog House" (1961) - This song reached number 72 on the Hot 100 chart.
• "Saturday Night Fish Fry" / "Love Don't Love Nobody" (1961)
• "What Happened To You?" / "Let 'Em Talk" (1961)
• "A Man Only Does (What A Woman Makes Him Do)" / "They Said It Couldn't Be Done" (1962)

Albums (Music Collections)

Here are some of the albums Frankie Ford released:

• Let's Take a Sea Cruise with Frankie Ford (Ace, 1959)
• Frankie Ford (Briarmeade, 1976)
• New Orleans Dynamo (Stardust, 1984)
• Hot and Lonely (Ace, 1995)
• Christmas (Avantiavi, 1999)
• Night Songs (Briarmeade, 2002)
• That Can Be Used Again! (Briarmeade, 2003)
• The Legend (Knight, 2006)
• On the Street Where You Live (Briarmeade, 2009)