Frankie Ford

by Richie UnterbergerIts ironic that some of the greatest New Orleans R&B of the 1950s was sung by a white man. Although he could have passed for a teen idol, Frankie Ford sang with as much grit as anyone of any color in the Crescent City. He recorded some fine singles for the Ace label in the late 50s, particularly the pounding Sea Cruise, which made the Top 20 in 1959 and remains one of the hits most identified with the classic New Orleans R&B sound. Sea Cruise actually began life as a Huey Piano Smith song with Bobby Marchan on vocals, but producer Johnny Vincent had the inspired idea of dubbing Fords singing on top of Smiths backing track. Sea Cruise, with its bleating foghorn and irresistible piano groove, was an impossible act to follow, and Ford never approached the Top 20 again. But he cut several more gutsy sides for Ace that featured top New Orleans players like Huey Smith and saxophonist Red Tyler; one of the best, Roberta, was covered by the Animals in the mid-60s. A few of his singles found him following ill-advised swing jazz and teen idol directions, and he faded from view in the 1960s, although he made a cameo appearance in the film version of Alan Freeds life.