Chris Frantz

{{short description|American musician, drummer and record producer (b. 1951)}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Chris Frantz

| image = Austin Music Awards - Talking Heads (cropped).jpg

| caption = Frantz at South by Southwest 2010

| alt = Frantz standing onstage

| birth_name = Charton Christopher Frantz

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1951|5|8}}

| birth_place = Fort Campbell, Kentucky, U.S.

| occupation = Drummer

| current_member_of = Tom Tom Club

| past_member_of = Talking Heads

| spouse = {{marriage|Tina Weymouth|1977}}

}}

Charton Christopher Frantz (born May 8, 1951) is an American musician and record producer. He is the drummer for both Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club, both of which he co-founded with wife and Talking Heads bassist, Tina Weymouth.{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p77546/biography|pure_url=yes}}|title=Biography: Chris Frantz|last=Prato|first=Greg|publisher=Allmusic|access-date=June 13, 2010}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/how-we-met-chris-frantz-tina-weymouth-8533427.html|title=How We Met: Chris Frantz & Tina Weymouth|last=Jacques|first=Adam|date=March 17, 2013|work=The Independent|access-date=May 13, 2017|language=en-GB}} In 2002, Frantz was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Talking Heads.{{cite web|title=Talking Heads|url=https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/talking-heads|website=Rock & Roll Hall of Fame|access-date=16 April 2018|language=en}}

Career

Born in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Frantz graduated from Shady Side Academy in Pittsburgh. He studied in the early 1970s at the Rhode Island School of Design, where he met both David Byrne and Tina Weymouth. Byrne and Frantz formed a band called the Artistics, which went on to become Talking Heads, in 1973. Weymouth, then Frantz's girlfriend, joined the band in 1975 after they had moved to New York City. Frantz and Weymouth were married in 1977 and have two sons.{{Cite web|last=Jacques|first=Adam|date=2013-03-14|title=How We Met: Chris Frantz & Tina Weymouth|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/how-we-met-chris-frantz-tina-weymouth-8533427.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-09-01|website=The Independent|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160204211658/http://www.independent.co.uk:80/news/people/profiles/how-we-met-chris-frantz-tina-weymouth-8533427.html |archive-date=February 4, 2016 }}

Frantz and Weymouth formed Tom Tom Club in 1980, when Talking Heads went on hiatus due to Byrne's solo efforts. Weymouth, Frantz, and Jerry Harrison reunited as The Heads for a one-off album called No Talking, Just Head in 1996, featuring a rotating cast of vocalists, including Debbie Harry.{{Cite web|url=https://diffuser.fm/heads-no-talking-just-head/|title=How the Heads Tried to Move On Without David Byrne With 'No Talking Just Head'|website=Diffuser.fm|date=October 8, 2016 }} He and Weymouth produced the Happy Mondays' 1992 album, Yes Please! and the Scottish group Angelfish's self-titled album, in addition to producing multiple albums for Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers.{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-09-10-ca-490-story.html|title=Ex-Heads Say They Got Byrned: Split Still Miffs Frantz, Weymouth, Even Though Tom Tom Club Keeps Them Busy|last=Boehm|first=Mike|date=September 10, 1992|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=May 13, 2017|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035}} Frantz and Weymouth also contributed backing vocals and percussion for Gorillaz self-titled debut album.{{Cite news|url=http://www.spin.com/2009/10/chris-frantz-talking-heads-reunion-more/|title=Chris Frantz on Talking Heads Reunion & More|last=Kandell|first=Steve|date=October 16, 2009|work=Spin|access-date=May 13, 2017}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/24/AR2005052401666.html|title='Toon In: Gorillaz Animate the Music Scene|last=Daly|first=Sean|date=May 25, 2015|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=May 13, 2017|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}

He is ranked number 12 in Stylus Magazine{{'}}s list of the 50 greatest rock drummers{{Cite news|url=http://fairfield.dailyvoice.com/neighbors/happy-birthday-to-fairfields-chris-frantz/447141/|title=Happy Birthday To Fairfield's Chris Frantz|date=May 8, 2016|work=Fairfield Daily Voice|access-date=May 13, 2017|language=en}} and hosts a monthly radio program, "Chris Frantz the Talking Head", on 89.5 WPKN in Bridgeport, Connecticut.{{Cite web|url=http://www.wpkn.org/Hosts/chris-frantz/|title=Chris Frantz {{!}} WPKN Radio|website=www.wpkn.org|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908120943/http://www.wpkn.org/Hosts/chris%2Dfrantz/|archive-date=2015-09-08|url-status=dead|access-date=May 13, 2017}} Frantz and Weymouth are also closely associated with the Compass Point All Stars movement.{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/island-dreams-1.755831|title=Island dreams|last=Poplak|first=Richard|date=July 9, 2008|work=CBC News|access-date=May 13, 2017|language=en}} After Phish covered Talking Heads' Remain in Light, Frantz become known as an influence on the modern jamband scene.Budnick, D., [https://relix.com/articles/detail/love-stories-chris-frantz-reflects-talking-heads-tom-tom-club-the-dead-and-the-power-of-live/ "‘Love’ Stories: Chris Frantz Reflects on Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, the Dead and the Power of Live"], Relix, August 3, 2020. Frantz's memoir, Remain in Love: Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, Tina, was published in July 2020 (St. Martin's Press in the US and Faber and Faber in the UK).{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/talking-heads-chris-frantz-announces-memoir/|title=Talking Heads' Chris Frantz Announces Memoir|first=Braudie|last=Blais-Billie|website=Pitchfork|date=April 24, 2018 }}Laing, O., [https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/jul/15/remain-in-love-by-chris-frantz-review-the-talking-heads-drummer-speaks-out "Remain in Love by Chris Frantz review – the Talking Heads drummer speaks out"], The Guardian, July 15, 2020.{{cite web |title=Rock and Roll Book Club: Chris Frantz's 'Remain In Love: Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, Tina |url=https://www.thecurrent.org/feature/2020/07/21/chris-frantz-remain-in-love-book-review |website=thecurrent.org |access-date=1 August 2020}}

Health

On Memorial Day Weekend 2020, Frantz suffered a heart attack that required the insertion of three stents.Paul, A., [https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/chris-frantz-on-the-rise-and-fall-of-talking-heads-11596214811 "Chris Frantz on the Rise and Fall of Talking Heads"], WSJ, July 31, 2020. In March 2022, Frantz and Tina Weymouth were in a car collision with a drunk driver.{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/mar/28/talking-heads-musicians-survive-serious-collision-with-drunk-driver-chris-frantz-tina-weymouth | title=Talking Heads musicians survive serious collision with drunk driver | website=TheGuardian.com | date=March 28, 2022 }}

Bibliography

{{cite book | last1 = Frantz | first1 = Chris | author-mask1 = 1 | date = 2020-07-21 | title = Remain in Love: Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, Tina | publisher = St. Martin's Publishing | language = en-us | edition = Illustrated | isbn = 978-1250209221 | lccn = 2020002700 | oclc = 1137735530 | ol = OL28244911M | df = dmy-all }}

References

External links

[https://vimeo.com/63193834 Caroline-up's Skype Interview w/Chris Frantz 2013/17/03]
[http://www.staythirstymedia.com/201012-052/html/201012-chris-frantz-int.html Stay Thirsty's interview w/Chris Frantz]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070305045433/http://www.talking-heads.net/chris.html Chris Frantz's Profile]
{{Cite web |url=http://music-mix.ew.com/2009/10/13/talking-heads-chris-frantz-on-25-years-of-stop-making-sense-and-the-possibility-of-a-heads-reunion/ |title=Talking Heads' Chris Frantz on 25 Years of 'Stop Making Sense' and the Possibility of a Heads Reunion |author=Clark Collis |date=October 13, 2009 |publisher=EW.com}}
{{Discogs artist}}