Home / Biography / J. Frank Wilson

J. Frank Wilson

Biography

J. Frank Wilson acquired only one strike, nonetheless it was an enormous one. Along with his music group the Cavaliers, he brought Wayne Cochran’s teen-death melodrama “Last Kiss” towards the higher reaches from the American pop graphs in nov 1964. The tune was the last in an extended line of teenager tragedies which were well-known within the U.S. through the early ’60s; as a matter of known fact, it’s just a little astonishing that a tune this exceedingly melodramatic was popular on the height from the United kingdom Invasion. Wilson may have discovered it astonishing himself — in the end, he type of lucked in to the placement of pop superstar to begin with. Delivered in Lufkin, TX, in 1941, Wilson started his professional documenting career almost unintentionally. Upon his release in the Air Power, Wilson came in touch with the Cavaliers, a rock and roll & roll music group led by guitarist Sid Holmes and offering bassist Lewis Elliott, saxophonist Rob Zeller, and drummer Ray Smith. The Cavaliers have been around since 1955, developing in San Angelo, TX, after that shifting to Memphis in the first ’60s, then time for San Angelo in 1962. They continuing to gig as an instrumental group around their hometown for some time, before being motivated to include a vocalist. They found out about Wilson with the grapevine, and after an audition, that they had him sign up for. Wilson helped raise the Cavaliers’ target audience dramatically. Soon, these were well-known attractions at several local Texas night clubs. At among these gigs, they gained the eye of Sonley Roush. Based on Wayne Janick’s interview with Holmes within the Billboard Book of 1 Hit Miracles, Roush was a “unusual guy” that resided with his mom. Roush also been enthusiastic about a track known as “Last Kiss,” created and recorded by way of a Georgia blue-eyed spirit singer known as Wayne Cochran. “Last Kiss” was the tragic story of a woman who was wiped out on her 1st day with her sweetheart. Cochran centered the track on the true-life story of three teenage lovers who were wiped out when their car struck a flatbed logging pickup truck. He documented the track twice, on the neighborhood Gala label and the national Ruler, but it proceeded to go nowhere. Nevertheless, Roush happened to listen to it and fell deeply in love with it. Roush brought “Last Kiss” towards the Cavaliers, asked them to understand it and play it. They do whenever he was within the target audience. Roush then produced a cope with a pal who owned an area studio room for the music group to record the track. During the documenting periods, Roush acted as manufacturer, which annoyed both Holmes and Zeller. Still, they were able to trim “Last Kiss,” and Roush peddled the melody to several local brands. Le Cam released it initial, after that Tamara. It wasn’t a long time before it was found by Josie Information for nationwide distribution. Josie evidently understood how to promote the record, because it became an enormous, unexpected hit. Through the fall of 1964, the graphs were dominated with the United kingdom Invasion, specially the Beatles, so that it was a significant feat for Wilson & the Cavaliers to range such great levels. Inevitably, such unexpected fame caused complications. Specifically, Wilson now thought that he was superstar. In Janick’s interview, Sid Holmes says that Wilson indulged in “sex, booze, (he was) up forever.” Wilson’s excesses had been so great the fact that Cavaliers still left him behind after only a couple of gigs. Wilson continuing to market the record with a fresh band of Cavaliers along with Sonley Roush as his supervisor. On path to a concert in Canton, OH, that fall, Roush dropped asleep in the wheel, producing a head-on collision. Roush passed away instantly and Wilson was hurt; when he performed on American Bandstand following the incident, he was in crutches. The automobile crash was unfortunately ironic, nonetheless it didn’t sluggish Wilson. He and Jose Information assembled a fresh music group, utilizing the name the Cavaliers despite the fact that the Cavaliers had been carrying on, right now with Lewis Elliott as their innovator and Wayne Thomas as vocalist. Within the studio room, Wilson was backed by session music artists. The very first fruits of his fresh attempts was “Hey BABY,” a edition of the Dorsey Burnette music. It stiffed — it just reached 85, spending only two weeks within the graphs. As it proved, “Hey BABY” wasn’t a bump in the street. It was the finish of Wilson’s graph achievement. Although he continuing to tour and record through the entire ’60s, Wilson produced no national influence. He continuing documenting in to the ’70s, but by that time he was essentially morning jobs. Based on Holmes’ interview with Janick, Wilson couldn’t get to grips along with his position being a one-hit question. He went through eight relationships as he sank into alcoholism. Ultimately, most of his fast living swept up with him — he passed away Oct 4, 1991, several months timid of his 50th birthday. During most of Wilson’s personal issues, the Cavaliers soldiered on, albeit in two different incarnations. Elliott and Thomas hardly ever ceased performing beneath the Cavaliers name, while Holmes revived the name for 15 years, between 1972 and 1987.

Quick Facts


Full Name J. Frank Wilson
Died October 4, 1991, Lufkin, Texas, United States
Profession Singer
Nationality American
Music Groups J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers
Music Songs Dreams of a Fool, Black Car X, Last Kiss, Hey Little One, Unmarked and Uncovered with Sand, That's How Much I Love You


  • Facts
  • Filmography
  • Awards
  • Salaries
  • Quotes
  • Trademarks
  • Pictures


Looks like we don't have interesting facts information. Sorry!



Actor

Actor

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The Chess Set 2005 Short Karl
Welcher & Welcher 2003 TV Series Judge
Crackerjack 2002 Len Johnson
Changi 2001 TV Mini-Series Older Gordon
SeaChange 1999-2000 TV Series Len Connors
Water Rats 2000 TV Series Billy Russell
Blue Heelers 2000 TV Series Maurie Lawson
The Well 1997 Francis Harper
Big Sky 1997 TV Series Sir Douglas Ogilvie
G.P. 1994 TV Series Eddie
Police Rescue 1992 TV Series Mr. Bridger
Black Robe 1991 Father Jerome
Ultimate Desires 1991 Detective Southard
Dearest Enemy 1989 TV Series Walter Taylor (1989 / 1992)
Slow Burn 1989 Video Captain Fahey
The Flying Doctors 1989 TV Series Karl Szalinski
Tudawali 1988 TV Movie Charles Chauvel
Empire of Ash 1988 Shepherd
The Riddle of the Stinson 1987 TV Movie Robinson
Going Sane 1987 Sir Colin Grant
A Country Practice 1982-1987 TV Series Hank McCoy / Knuckles / Dr. Rupert Clarke
The Great Bookie Robbery 1986 TV Mini-Series Bathurst
News - Bericht über eine Reise in eine strahlende Zukunft 1986 TV Movie
Golden Pennies 1985 TV Series Doc Slope
Neighbours 1985 TV Series Victor Armstrong / Victor
Scales of Justice 1983 TV Mini-Series Sir John Ritchie
Tickled Pink 1981 TV Series Thrubb
I Can Jump Puddles 1981 TV Series Mr. Fulsham
Holiday Island 1981 TV Series Banjo Paterson
Prisoner 1981 TV Series Mr. Justice Myles
Fatty Finn 1980 Lord Mayor
The Club 1980 Jock Riley
Breaker Morant 1980 Dr. Johnson
The Journalist 1979 Vic Parsons
Skyways 1979 TV Series Defense Barrister / Frank Sefton
Doctor Down Under 1979 TV Series Professor Norman Beaumont
The Truckies 1978 TV Series Wally
Money Movers 1978 Lionel Darcy
Patrick 1978 Detective Sgt. Grant
Glenview High 1978 TV Series Dave
Bluey 1977 TV Series Det Sgt Hennessy
The Sullivans 1977 TV Series Herman Wintzer
Power Without Glory 1976 TV Series Tom Trumbleward
The Bluestone Boys 1976 TV Series
Homicide 1971-1976 TV Series John Mason / Bennie / Brooks / ...
The Great MacArthy 1975 Mayor
Matlock Police 1971-1975 TV Series George Price / John Alexander / Hatcher / ...
Alvin Rides Again, and Again! And Again! And Again! 1974 House Detective
Division 4 1969-1974 TV Series Insp. Tom Hogan / Davies / Robert Gibson / ...
Ryan 1973-1974 TV Series Bob Novak / Jack Hayes / Palmer
And the Big Men Fly 1974 TV Series
Marion 1974 TV Series
Bellbird 1967 TV Series Howard Bates
Lola Montez 1962 TV Movie Sam
Season of Passion 1959 Vince
Robert Montgomery Presents 1953 TV Series
The Billy Rose Show 1950 TV Series

Soundtrack

Soundtrack

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The Graham Kennedy Show 1973 TV Series performer - 6 episodes

Self

Self

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The Graham Kennedy Show 1972-1973 TV Series Himself
The 14th Annual TV Week Logie Awards 1972 TV Special Himself
In Melbourne Tonight 1969 TV Series Himself
Letter Charades 1967 TV Series Himself - Host
New Faces 1963 TV Series Himself - Host (1963-1976)
Take the Hint 1962 TV Series Himself - Host
With a View to Revue 1960 TV Movie Himself
Club Seven 1959 TV Series Himself - Host
Wonderful World 1959 TV Series Himself
Rooftop Rendezvous 1948 TV Series Himself

Archive Footage

Archive Footage

TitleYearStatusCharacter
On the Bench with the Great MacArthy 2004 Video Mayor

Looks like we don't have awards information. Sorry!



Looks like we don't have salary information. Sorry!



Looks like we don't have quotes information. Sorry!



Looks like we don't have trademarks information. Sorry!



Looks like we don't have pictures. Sorry!

Check Also

Don Schlitz

A 2012 inductee in to the Songwriters Hall of Popularity, Don Schlitz was among Nashville’s …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.