Francis Rossi
Francis Dominic Nicholas Michael Rossi, OBE (* May 29, 1949 in London ) is a British composer, singer and guitarist of the rock band Status Quo. In the early 1970s, he used his other temporary name Michael, so that he was occasionally given to publications of the status quo as " Mike Rossi ".
Life
Rossi was born as the son of an Italian Eisverkäufers and an Irish mother in South London. He is the sole remaining founding member of the pop group The Spectres, from which, as Rick Parfitt was to hit the band Status Quo emerged. He is responsible as author and composer for many of the status quo title. He also composed the first hit Pictures of Matchstick Men, with the status quo in 1968 became known to a wider audience. Later he worked as a composer for Status Quo mainly with Bob Young and Bernard Frost.
With frost together Rossi started in the eighties, a solo project that spawned relatively unsuccessful single releases and an unreleased album. In 1996 his first regular solo album King Of The Doghouse, which earned him a moderate success in Europe.
In addition to his work with Status Quo Francis Rossi has made itself as a producer and author of various artists a name. He produced singles and albums Demis Roussos, Graham Bonnet, John and Mickey Jupp DuCann. His voice lends status quo in addition to the typical guitars "Quo sound ." Both Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt playing mainly Fender Telecaster.
On 31 December 2009 Francis Rossi was awarded the Order of Merit Order of the British Empire, as an Officer ( OBE). In May 2010, his second solo album, One Step at a Time appeared. On this occasion he went for the first time in his more than 40 -year career on solo tour. Yet his son Nicholas accompanied him on stage - he had long contemplated this collaboration. An announced for February 2011 Germany tour was canceled due to scheduling reasons.
The as GOMORR ( The Grand Old Man Of Rock And Roll ) designated Rossi lives with eight children and his second wife Eileen in the southern English county of Surrey.
Writings
- Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt: Just For The Record. Bantam Press, 1994, ISBN 0-593-03546-1
- Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt, Mick Wall: status quo. XS All Areas. Sidgwick & Jackson, 2004, ISBN 0283073756 ( paperback: Macmillan Publishers Ltd, 2005, ISBN 0330419625 )
- Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt, Bob Young: "Status Quo ": The Official 40th Anniversary Edition. Cassell Illustrated, 2006 ISBN 9,781,844,035,625th