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| Francis Rossi | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Francis Dominic Nicholas Michael Rossi |
| Born | 29 May 1949 Forest Hill, London, England |
| Genres | Hard rock, Rock and roll |
| Occupations | Musician, Songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1962 - present |
| Associated acts | Status Quo Graham Bonnet |
| Website | www.statusquo.co.uk |
| Notable instruments | |
| Fender Telecaster | |
Francis Rossi (born Francis Dominic Nicholas Michael Rossi, 29 May 1949, Forest Hill, London) is co-founder of the English rock band Status Quo, in which he sings lead vocals and plays lead guitar.
He has enjoyed minor success with brief projects outside the group. In 1985 when Status Quo were on hold, he recorded two singles and a (so far unreleased) album with his longtime writing partner Bernie Frost. The single releases were "Modern Romance (I Want to Fall in Love Again)" (UK No. 54[1]), and "Jealousy". In 1996 he issued a solo album, King of the Doghouse, which was not a commercial success, although it produced a UK No. 42 hit single, "Give Myself to Love".[1] Some years earlier, in 1976, he appeared on the soundtrack album and film, All This and World War II, comprising cover versions of songs by The Beatles. Although the album sleeve credits the performance of "Getting Better" to Status Quo, the track featured Rossi's vocals and the London Symphony Orchestra.
In 1980, Rossi and Frost contributed vocals to Ships in The Night, a concept album by Bob Mitchell and Steve Coe which featured various other artists, including Colin Blunstone and Dan McCafferty. In 1981, he produced and played coral sitar, synthesizer, and guitar on two tracks on Line-Up by Graham Bonnet, one of which was the Top 10 hit, "Night Games".
April 2010 sees the release of his long-awaited second solo album, One Step At A Time. Rossi wrote and recorded three songs with Guy Johnson, who penned the UK Top 20 hit "Going Down Town Tonight" for Status Quo in 1984.[2] On the news that Francis will embark on a six date tour of the UK to promote the album, Francis commented, "I never stop writing songs and melodies but there have been many tracks over the years that just weren't right for Quo. These songs have been gathering dust in my mind for too long and now seems the right time to showcase them. It's a big step for me but I hope to see lots of the same faces out there on the road!" [3]
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Musical equipment
Rossi's main guitar is a 1957 Fender Telecaster which he purchased in 1968 for £70. Through the years several parts have been replaced with G&L parts and a third pickup has been added in a configuration much like a Fender Stratocaster. For amplification Rossi uses Marshall JCM800 or JCM900 Lead series amplifiers with 4x12 cabinets and a Roland GP8 to boost his signal. The sound from his Marshall rig is blended with Vox AC30 amplifiers that are kept behind his Marshall setup.[4] http://www.statusquo.co.uk/quo/francisrossi.htm
Personal life
Rossi currently lives in Purley, Surrey, England. He has eight children by two marriages, including his current to Eileen. When not touring, Rossi keeps fit by swimming and exercising. He is a collector of koi carp and likes clay pigeon shooting. He is known by his bandmates for being a fan of pasta.
Rossi recently moved from the house in which he had lived since the age of 18, because he considered it pointless to live in a ten-bedroomed house when his children had all left home. He left behind the 'ARSIS (A Roof Somewhere In Surrey)' music studio, housed in an extension to the house which he had built himself.
In March 2009 Rossi decided that his distinctive trademark ponytail of the previous 35 years should be cut off.[5] The ponytail was subsequently won by long-time Status Quo fan Sharon Littleton in a competition organised by The Sun newspaper.[6]
References
- ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 471. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ Guy Johnson Official Website - NEWS & GIGS
- ^ Francis Rossi 'One Step at a Time' - Solo Tour - May 2010
- ^ Official Rossi at the official Status Quo website
- ^ The ponytail's got to Quo, at thesun.co.uk
- ^ Quo fan's got Rossi pony-tail, at thesun.co.uk
External links
- Status Quo official website
- Video interviews with Francis Rossi - October 2007
- Video interviews with Francis Rossi - November 2008
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