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Frankie Smith

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American funk musician and R&B/soul songwriter For the football player of the same name, see Frankie Smith (American football).
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Frankie Smith
BornJanuary 29, 1940
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
DiedMarch 8, 2019(2019-03-08) (aged 66)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
GenresR&B, soul, funk, disco, old school hip hop
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
InstrumentsVocals, keyboards
Years active1979–2019
LabelsParamount Records, WMOT Records, Amstate Records
Musical artist

Franklyn Leon Smith (January 29, 1940 – March 8, 2019) was an American funk musician and R&B/soul songwriter. He was best known for his 1981 hit single "Double Dutch Bus".

Career

Smith went to college in Tennessee for elementary education with a minor in music. He became a writer for funk and soul artists such as the O'Jays and The Spinners. In 1972 he would record for Paramount, releasing a single called "Double Dutch" under the name Franklin Franklin, but it failed to become a hit. He was also influential in the careers of the rappers Tone Loc, Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg.

With his 1981 single "Double Dutch Bus", released by WMOT Records, Smith popularized a nonsensical form of slang (from his song "Slang thang", 1981 WMOT, Records), in which "iz" is placed in the middle of a word (for example, the word "place" becomes "plizace"), or the last letters of a word are replaced with "-izzle" ("sure" becomes shizzle). A type of infix, it found greater popularity later on in hip hop and rap with its usage by Snoop Dogg.

Death

Smith died in Philadelphia on March 8, 2019.

Discography

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Albums

  • 1981: Children of Tomorrow
  • 2006: Frankie Smith and His World Wide Party Crew

Singles

  • 1980: "Double Dutch Bus" (#30, US)
  • 1980: "Double Dutch"
  • 1981: "The Auction"
  • 1981: "Teeny-Bopper Lady"
  • 1982: "Double Dutch Bus II"
  • 1982: "Yo-Yo Champ (From Mississippi)"
  • 1985: "Slapp Ya Thigh"
  • 1985: "Congratulations for Graduating"

References

  1. Indy Smith (January 26, 2020). "Indypendent Lens". Apple Podcasts (Podcast). Event occurs at 2:35. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  2. Chandler, D. L. (March 14, 2019). "Little Known Black History Fact: Frankie Smith". Black America Web. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  3. Whitburn, Joel (2003). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955 – 2002. Record Research Inc. p. 652. ISBN 0-89820-155-1.
  4. Hogan, Ed. "Biography: Frankie Smith". AMG. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
  5. Crockett, Stephen J. Jr. (March 10, 2005). "Gizoogle.com, the Wizard of Izzle". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 1, 2021.

External links

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