Frankie J facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frankie J
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Francisco Javier Bautista Jr. |
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| Born | December 7, 1975 Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico |
| Origin | San Diego, California, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1993–present |
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Frankie J, whose real name is Francisco Javier Bautista Jr., is a singer from Mexico and the United States. He was born on December 7, 1975. He used to be part of a music group called Kumbia Kings.
Frankie J grew up in San Diego, California. In the late 1990s, he started as a freestyle artist, going by the name Frankie Boy. After being with Kumbia Kings, he began his solo music career. His first solo album, What's a Man to Do, came out in 2003. He has released many albums in both English and Spanish. In 2013, his album Faith, Hope y Amor was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Francisco Bautista Jr. was born in Tijuana, Mexico. When he was two years old, his family moved to San Diego, California. Growing up, he listened to both traditional Latin music and American urban music.
He went to Southwest Senior High School in San Diego. His family encouraged him to sing, and he became very interested in music. During high school, he performed in talent shows and at school events. He graduated in 1995.
Frankie J first got into the music business in 1993. He signed with a small record label called Ventura International Records. He was featured on a song called "Margarita" by an artist named Atilla. In 1997, he signed with Hola Recordings. At that time, he was known as Frankie Boy and was a freestyle artist. His music appeared on some Maximum Freestyle albums.
Music Career
Joining Kumbia Kings (1999–2003)
In 1999, Frankie J joined the music group Kumbia Kings. This group was created by A.B. Quintanilla, who is the brother of the famous singer Selena. While in the group, Frankie J performed under the name Cisko.
Starting a Solo Career
After leaving Kumbia Kings, Frankie J signed with Columbia Records as a solo artist. His first solo album, What's A Man To Do, was released on May 27, 2003. Later that same year, he released his first Spanish-language album, Frankie J.
His song "Don't Wanna Try" reached number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Another song, "Ya No Es Igual," made it into the Top 10 on the World Latin charts. In 2003, he was also featured on the popular song "Suga Suga" by rapper Baby Bash, which became a Top 10 hit.
The One and Big Success
Frankie J's second album, The One, came out on March 22, 2005. The album's first song, "Obsession (No Es Amor)" featuring Baby Bash, was a huge hit, reaching number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Other popular songs from the album included "How To Deal" and "More Than Words".
By January 2006, The One sold over a million copies. This earned it a platinum certification from the RIAA. His second Spanish album, Un Nuevo Dia, was released in June 2006.
His third English album, Priceless, was released on October 17, 2006. The main single, "That Girl", featured Chamillionaire and Mannie Fresh.
Independent Music and New Albums
After leaving Columbia Records, Frankie J started his own record label called Soulsick Records. He released several singles on his own. He also wrote songs for other artists, including the hit song "Take a Chance on Me" for the boyband JLS in the United Kingdom.
His fourth English album, Courage, was released on December 7, 2011. He released music videos for songs like "How Beautiful You Are" and "And I Had You There". In 2012, Frankie J joined Jennifer Lopez and Enrique Iglesias on their North American tour as a special guest.
In 2011, he signed with Universal Music. He released his album Faith, Hope y Amor on May 28, 2013. This album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album. It included popular songs like "No Te Quiero Ver Con Él" and "Beautiful" (featuring Pitbull).
Since then, Frankie J has continued to release new music. He put out singles like "Breakin'" in 2015 and "Not So Dangerous" in 2016. In 2017, he worked with Play-N-Skillz, Wisin, and Leslie Grace on the song "Si Una Vez (If I Once)". He also collaborated with Baby Bash again on "Vamonos" and "Lowrider". His album Eleven was released in July 2017.
Frankie J has released many studio albums, including What's a Man to Do, The One, Priceless, Courage, Faith, Hope y Amor, and Eleven. He has also released many singles as a lead artist and has been featured on songs by other artists like Baby Bash and Mikolas Josef.
Acting Roles
Frankie J has also appeared on television. He was a celebrity guest on MTV's My Super Sweet 16 for Marissa Mishelle's birthday party.
In 2011, he joined the mun2 TV show RPM Miami. On the show, he played a mechanic named Ramon. The series was popular and quickly got a second season.
