CAROL FRAN/ Louisiana Swamp blues

CAROL FRAN/ Louisiana Swamp blues

           

Carol Fran, certainly one of the Queen of the Louisiana Swamp blues, was born Carol Anthony Martin in the city of Lafayette, at the very heart of the Cajun country, on October 23, 1933. Her mother wanted her to be a classical pianist and Carol followed piano (and dance) lessons at a very early age. But as she told in an in-depth interview to Living Blues Magazine (n°116), she hated those piano lessons and instead lent an ear to R&B local and national acts, particularly Ella Mae Morse, Dinah Washington or Camille Howard.

            Anyway, she was already a proficient piano player when, at just 15!, she started to play in the Louisiana clubs with the Don Coway Orchestra. Don encouraged her to sing and soon she was fronting the band and garnering good followings. Another step and Carol was hired by Bubba Lutcher's (brother of Nellie and Joe) agency from Lake Charles and she started to tour across the South West from Texas to California before settling awhile in New Orleans. There she sang in many cabarets of the French Quarter with many bands, those of Edgar Blanchard, Sugar Boy Crawford and even Guitar Slim, becoming a very favorite female singer of Bourbon Street and, of course, she married in New Orleans to saxophonist Bob François. She then dropped her maiden name and began a new career under the name of Carol Fran, thinking François was too difficult to pronounce in Texas or California!

            A two years and fruitful contract with the main venue of Ciudad Juarez at the Mexican border and Carol was at last recorded in 1957 by the ever smart Jay Miller from Crowley who recognized in Carol a major talent. The nice swamp pop ballad Emmitt Lee, penned by Carol and issued by Excello was a modest local hit but the driving and witty Knock Knock enjoyed a wider success and the song is still a Swamp blues/rock classic.

            Carol signed then a contract with the Lyric label from Lake Charles: The great pretender was a smash hit from Houston to New Orleans and Carol became a major New Orleans artist, singing at the Dew Drop Inn and the Sugar Bowl clubs and appearing with Earl King, Lee Dorsey, Joe Tex... This is on a tour with the Joe Tex Revue that she appeared in New York at the famous

At the Apollo. Courtesy Living Blues

Apollo Theatre and signing with the Port Records label for which she recorded her smoldering Crying in the Chapel, an instant hit that would be very soon recorded by Elvis Presley. She toured the USA from coast to coast with the Joe Tex Revue until, tired of the hectic life on the road, she settled in Miami and around 1977 in Houston, to be closer to her kinfolks. At that time, the opportunities were scarce but Carol formed a duo with her second husband, ace Texas guitarist Clarence Holliman. Her early records having a great reputation in Europe, she was "re-discovered" by local producers and Carol and Clarence started to appear in festivals all around the USA and Europe, recording a string of mostly excellent albums for Black Top and JSP.

            After the death of Clarence Hollimon in 2000, she was devastated but managed to pursue her career, touring Europe and recording a very emotional album Fran-Tastic backed by Louisiana guitarist Selwyn Cooper. She relocated in Lafayette, appearing in festivals all over the world and on records by Grady Gaines, Bob Corritore or Anson Funderburgh. She gained a National Endowment for the Arts Awards in 2013.

                                                                       Gérard HERZHAFT

A lot of thanks to Benoit Blue Boy, Apesville and Mike K. from Australia for their help and loan of rare records.

Carol Fran, vcl; band. Crowley, La. 12 June 1957

01. Tomorrow

Carol Fran, vcl; John Johnson, g; Guitar Gable, g; Fats Perrodin, bs; Clarence Etienne, dms. Crowley, La. 22 February 1958

02. Emmitt Lee

03. One look at you daddy

Carol Fran, vcl; band. Crowley, La. 18 June 1958

04. I quit my knockin'

If we should meet again (Thanks to Apesville for sharing this rare track)

Carol Fran, vcl; band. Crowley, La. 24 February1959

05. Knock knock I & II

06. Emmitt Lee's come back

Carol Fran, vcl; band. Crowley, La. March 1960

07. One more chance

08. Run a while (Running and hiding)

09. Hold me

Carol Fran, vcl; band. Lake Charles, La. 1961

So tired of crying

10. Just because you're mine

Carol Fran, vcl; Cookie Thierry, t-sax; Sheldon Dunaway, t-sax; Ernest Jacobs, pno; Marshall Ladee, g; Joe Landry, bs; Soko Richardson, dms. Lake Charles, La. 1962

11. The great pretender

12. Please stand by me

Carol Fran, vcl; band. Lake Charles, La. late 1962

13. After a night out

It's you (Thanks to Apesville for sharing this rare track)

Carol Fran, vcl; band. New York City, 1964

14. Crying in the chapel

15. I'm gonna try

Carol Fran, vcl; Sammy Lowe Orchestra. New York City, early 1965

16. It's my turn now

17. You can't stop me

18. A world without you

19. I know

Carol Fran, vcl; band. New York City, late 1965

20. Any day love walks in

21. Just a letter

Carol Fran, vcl; band. New York City, 1966

22. So close

23. Out of sight, out of mind

Carol Fran, vcl; band. New York City, March 1967

24. My runaway heart

25. C'mon let's make up

26. You're my pleasure

27. A woman in love

28. I was such a fool

29. Roll with the Punches