Frank_Morrison_Cd_release

Jeff Green | Dec 21, 2006

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Frank Morrison – CD release ---------------------------------------------------------------

Ompah’s Frank Morrison has done a lot of things in his life, but he can’t seem to shake the music business out of his bones.

He started out in the early 60s in Ottawa as a member of “The Darnells”, and achieved success as the lead singer with “The Townsmen”, a well-known folk rock band in Ottawa and Eastern Ontario in the mid to late 60s. In 1966, the Townsmen had their greatest success with a rock n’ roll version of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and “We’re Doing Fine”. The Townsmen broke up in 1968, and Frank joined with another former member of The Townsmen to form the duo “Harold”. It all ended a couple of years before CRTC Canadian content regulations helped make a succession of Canadian musicians famous.

Although he spent years in the insurance and event planning business, Frank has continued to sing, and write music. This week, he will be performing three times in support of a new eight-song CD he has recorded.

The CD includes tributes to Alma White, Aileen Sproule and Frank’s dog Maggie. The sound of the new CD is mellower than The Townsmen, and if anything Frank’s voice has improved in the intervening years. It is a rich and sweet voice. Particularly in the love songs “Time with You”, “Cloudy”, and “Aileen”, the jazz and country inflections of Frank’s voice serve the material exceedingly well.

Frank Morrison will be performing this Sunday at the Jubilee at the Ag Hall in McDonalds Corners. The performance is a bit of a tribute to Aileen Sproule, who never missed the monthly Sunday afternoon events.

On Friday, December 15th at the Ompah hall, and December 16th at the Plevna hall, Frank is sponsoring variety shows where the new CD will be featured. Music and comedy will be the order of the day, and rumour has it Dwayne Scudder will drop by to perform his famous version of the “Eight Days of Christmas”.

The concerts will cost $5, with proceeds going to a local charitable venture. The music starts at 7:30 each night.