Frank DeFonda - Full biography

Born: May 23rd 1949 Syracuse, NY I lived the first seven years in Geneva, NY. My Dad Frank, Mother, Maria and three younger sisters, Kathy, Marlene and Lucia. Middle-Class family growing up in the fifties! Mom stayed home raising a family, Dad worked the foundry of International Harvester as foreman second shift. Saw very little of him, he was a big, pipe smoking man who wore a hat with a quick smile and loved by all. He died when I was seven. The only memory I have of those first seven years was Mom playing her Xavier Cugat, Mario Lanza, Perry Como, Peggy Lee records! Music was always on and around, in the home and in the car. I played drums on pots and pans, I was given a tambourine and I had a guitar which broke in two when I leaned it up against the wall to come to the dinner table! I still would have chosen the drums!

Moving to Syracuse in 1957 with Mom and the girls, I lived next door to Vito Giampa who had the largest 45” record collection I’d ever seen! All sleeved and categorized! I discovered Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and Jerry Lee Lewis. The Drifters and all The Girl Groups of the time! I absolutely knew I was going to be involved in music in some way at this time. I discovered I loved all forms of music as well, giving everyone equal time!

I purchased my first drum set using money I made from being a paperboy. It was a white pearl set from an off brand name but then traded it almost immediately for my first Ludwig kit in black pearl because of Ringo and Charlie Watts. They were the first big influences. My first paying gig was in 1969 with my first band “Fat Attic” a Blues band based around Paul Butterfield. Then my second band was “Wind” a harder rock outfit and I discovered John Bonham, Bill Bruford, David Garibaldi and Bernard Purdy around this time. I incorporated a lot of what I heard from them in my playing. They where my teachers, I never took a formal lesson.

With “Wind” I met Mark Doyle and Joe Whiting and we ended up doing a pretty extensive tour with them, we being there opening act. We played as far north as North Dakota and as far south as St. Angelo Texas. Traveled in a Winnebago! “Life on the road” never bothered me, it still doesn’t, and I never took the time to find out why!

About this time I was friends with Joe English and band Jam Factory and I felt my musical interest was expanding because I didn’t want to play just “Rock” music and I noticed I could handle other forms of music as well. Joe English went on to play with Paul McCartney and Wings and I felt if it could happen for Joe, possibilities for me were great!

I got to play with Mark and Joe in a band called “The Mark Doyle/Joe Whiting All Stars” with Gary Link and Mick Walker. This was a very good time! We rocked and were known for playing these little known, high energy songs. Little did I know then that I would be doing this with Mark later! Much later!

I left Syracuse for Boston in late 1974 early 1975. It was time for a change, I didn’t want to join a new band and have it break up three months later! I knew Andy Mendelson, keyboard and guitar who was there. I did some recording with Andy while in Syracuse and I thought I’d have a chance for some recording/playing with him there. Mark and Gary were there as well. My half sister Angela was living there and she jumped at the chance of me staying with her at first to get my feet planted.

I learned the comings and goings, ins and outs of Boston like it was the back of my hand in no time! The MBTA was a guide map. On arriving sure enough Andy Mendelson got me studio work and then I got so successful I got to meet Andy Pratt and he got me studio work. He was producing Robin Lane and I did a couple of songs for her. Mark, Gary and Andy Mendelson were playing with Andy Pratt. There drummer Rick Shlosser was about to leave though I didn’t know that at the time. During a session I was doing for Andy, he asked me if I would consider playing in a band playing this type of music. I said yes! having no idea he meant the possibility of his band. I just liked doing studio work and meeting different artist/people. At this point I got a call to audition for a band headed up by Ric Ocasek which included Benjamin Orr and Elliot Easton. I traveled to Watertown MA. to do the audition. I played four of there songs I learned on the spot. By the time I got home to Wintrhop I got the call from Ric saying I got the gig. Subconsciously I must have known my chances of playing in the Andy Pratt Band was looming. I resonated more with Andy, I really liked being around him, he was capable of getting the best performance from me and I respected his musicianship. He was the closest I ever got to what I felt was on the level of genius. Andy’s music is like no other.

I turned Ric Ocasek down. Soon after I was asked to audition for Andy Pratt. Andy gave me a couple of albums, told me to learn a few of these particular songs and be ready. He and his manager Bernie brought drummers in from good distances and I remember meeting one or two. I played basketball while waiting my turn and I twisted my knee before going in. This audition room was a big warehouse space that had a net set-up out in the waiting room. I played basketball in high school; this was an opportunity to shoot some hoops! So my turn came up, I set-up, my knee was getting larger and I was in pain but I played some songs and passed the audition! So I was happy! Three months later “The Cars” were the biggest band on the planet! I went to there Album Release party and asked what happen! Greg Hawks the keyboard played who was not in the room at the audition but who I knew from session work said Management got in front of the right people! I remember saying to Greg, That’s an understatement!

I played with Andy, Mark, Gary and Andy for close to a year, we toured the nation and Madison Square Garden was in sight but never materialized because of poor record sales and the record company wasn’t fronting the money any longer. Andy was in pain and I felt real bad for him. Back to Syracuse! It started to get too expensive to live in Boston and “Punk” was taking over and session work dried up!

All this time in Boston I was letter writing to Janice Piotrowski, phone calling, coming back to be with her. It felt right to come back. My sister Kathy called to tell me Clark Music was hiring, I called and got hired on the spot if I could start the following Monday. Janice came with the car, loaded up and said goodbye to Boston.

I was asked to join “Atlas Linen Company” a nine piece horn band headed by my cousin, piano player Larry Arlotta and Ronnie Leigh. I played in this “Funk” band for four years. I married Janice in 1984.

I went through a period of not playing and I was miserable and Janice knew it. Diana Whiting was my hairdresser; we knew Diana for years and one night Janice happen to mention that to Diana. Soon after I was playing in The Joe Whiting Band! I played for sixteen years. Terry Quill was in the band along with Brian Barrigar. We where great and recorded about a half dozen CD’s, won Sammy Awards for best band, played constantly and made quite a bit of money which I paid taxes on every year!

Mark in the meantime was taken off! Playing with all kinds of people and producing. Because at a point where Mark was only producing and not in a band, I can remember saying to Joe “Mark should be playing more” “He should be in a band”!

Then----I think he got the bug! All of a sudden Joe and Mark get together and started writing songs for the CD “The Truth” and he’s sitting in with us! Man! I’m playing with Mark again! And he and Terry play so well together! And all of a sudden we start doing these blues/rock numbers and were burin! Then enter Mark’s wife Liz and because of just an oft statement to Mark about “Why don’t you play more of this music”! I find myself in Mark Doyle and the Maniacs! At first I kept calling it a project, how can anything this good go on as a band I thought! But sure enough its one of the best playing experiences in my life! I’m putting all my influences in the music we are creating and Mark, Like Andy Pratt is pulling out of me my best work and also like Andy, I like being around him, he’s the brother I never had!

I only see great things for Mark Doyle and the Maniacs. This has my full commitment.