In 1950, at my age of 3, an uncle gave me his drumsticks and went to war in Korea.
Everyday there was marching music on the radio before "the news of the army".
Then i strummed at a pan around my neck and stamped with my feet.
2 years later my father swapped a bicycle for an accordeon (an 80 bass Hohner Broadway, which i still have) with the local concertdirector who gave me private teachings.
From 8 years on i played as "special guest" at all kind of party's with the danceband of my uncle.
The first guitar came at my 12th birthday, i looked to it for days wondering as a lefthander which way to play it.   Then i took it as it was and started composing.
From 1962 on did sologigs with political songs in my native Dutch language, still remember the stage of the YMCA in de Vondelstraat in Amsterdam.
Organised a band called "Frank and the Playboys" with a.o. Andy on guitar who also played as stand in with "the Tielman Brothers".       
At 17 i was thrown out of the christian highschool after doin' a concert in the hall, using the classical orgen as a jumpbrett for my Little Richard and Elvis act. 
So took guitar and suitcase, went to London.   Soon played clubs like "the London Folk Music Centre" from Carl Dallas as support act of the Young Tradition, Cisco C. Frank, Colin Wilky, Shirley Hart etc.   Then guitarhero John Pearse (who had a regular BBC televisionshow) invited me to his house, introducing different styles of folk, rock and jazz.
Back in Holland in 1967 in Dordrecht near Rotterdam opened a culture- and musicclub "de Sleutel" where we had Boudewijn de Groot, Simon Vinkenoog, Johnny the Selfkicker and also alternative movies and theaterplays. 
A year later i met Frank Nuyens and Jay Baar from our Dutch nr.1 Rock/Bluesband "Q65".  With Marco Kleyn from the "James Mean" we made the band "Circus".  We were the 1st popgroup that played on national coloured television (in AVRO's "Rood, Wit, Blauw").
It became a confusing time with managing- and moneyproblems, organisers selling us as "Q65-circus" giving the impression we came with wild animals to the show.
So i left that media-hype and went straight (..) into the "Living Kick Formation".
We sold out upcoming concerthalls like "Paradiso" in Amsterdam but mostly were abroad with bands like Mothers of Invention (Frank Zappa), Pink Floyd (Syd Barret), the Move (Roy Wood), Tyrannosaurus Rex (Marc Bolan) on European festivals.
There was a gig in Prague, Tsjechoslowakei mid August 1968, Russia invaded the country 2 weeks later, several of my friends were killed at the barricades.
So then i thought to have seen it all, sold my equipment except the handmade Guild jumbo-guitar, found a job at a ship of the Holland-America line, wanted to sail for an isle in the Pacific.
But the stars had another idea.  Lost the train ticket on the way to the boat, wanted to buy another but found myself after midnight at a closed local station.
Walked into that town and met Diana. 
After staying toghether for a month or so we decided to get married which was, occasionally, at the 11th of the 11th at 11 minutes past 11.   Soon after that we rented an old monumental farm near the Dutch/ German border where we lived very basic for the next 34 years.  We had a lovely vegetable garden, bees, chickens, goats and a few ponies and horses.  Diana gave local children their first riding experience as a qualified (non-commercial) teacher.
From 1969 to 1989 i earned our money as a solo musician called "Electric One Man Band".  With a more or less self build equipment introduced basspedals, non-automatic drum machines and synthesizers to the singing/ gitarplaying. 
In that period did about 1500 gigs, playing every club and youthcenter you can imagine in Holland and the Ruhrgebiet in Germany.  Also many workshops with children, in psychiatry and prisons, lots of live-performances on VPRO-radio.  Had some more or less regular parking spots at Uni's and Poly's in England and Wales.  
Then there came a crisis. 
Punkmusicians on social-security overflew my stages. 
The money for music went down, i did never held up my hand, the fun and intensity in the work disappeared.  So took a job as a helpgoods truckdriver, soon went to Romania ( where they just had the revolution of '89), Bulgaria, Macedonia, Ukraine and Russia.  Because of the sometimes extreme long waiting hours and days, always accompanied by my acoustic guitar, i played for factoryworkers, students, custom-and policeofficers and all kind of upcoming clubs all over the Balkan.
Also composed songs in Dutch language and made a CD "Gevarengoed" (Danger materials) about the politics, corruption, parkingplaces and girls i had to do with... 
This CD is still a "traditional" for many Dutch truckdrivers on the long routes. 
In 2004 was chosen by the "Staringh-institute" as popmusician of the 70's in my district "Achterhoek" with an article in their pop-encyclopedia. 
In the meantime another change occurred.  The helpgoods became commercial transport like alcohol, cigarettes and all kind of "western waste". 
Local truckdrivers from eastern-europe started into the system. 
So last year they sent me home with an early pre-pension. 
Diana and me had to move from our old place and found a new setup just across the border in Germany.
This farm is the workout base of my new "Franky-onemanband". 
Now i shuffle, jive, stroll and swing with my feet over 2 sets of basspedals connected to different sound-units.  This 2,5x 1,5 meter board is my touch-sensitive accompanyband for the guitar/ singing and bluesharp. 
It took me more than a year to get the equipment on the road. 
Last summer did a few local try-outs.
Now it looks like my "best onemanband ever" is hittin' all kind of stages again
Come on everybody!!
 

In 1950, at my age of 3, an uncle gave me his drumsticks and went to war in Korea.
Everyday there was marching music on the radio before "the news of the army".
Then i strummed at a pan around my neck and stamped with my feet.
2 years later my father swapped a bicycle for an accordeon (an 80 bass Hohner Broadway, which i still have) with the local concertdirector who gave me private teachings.
From 8 years on i played as "special guest" at all kind of party's with the danceband of my uncle.
The first guitar came at my 12th birthday, i looked to it for days wondering as a lefthander which way to play it.   Then i took it as it was and started composing.
From 1962 on did sologigs with political songs in my native Dutch language, still remember the stage of the YMCA in de Vondelstraat in Amsterdam.
Organised a band called "Frank and the Playboys" with a.o. Andy on guitar who also played as stand in with "the Tielman Brothers".       
At 17 i was thrown out of the christian highschool after doin' a concert in the hall, using the classical orgen as a jumpbrett for my Little Richard and Elvis act. 
So took guitar and suitcase, went to London.   Soon played clubs like "the London Folk Music Centre" from Carl Dallas as support act of the Young Tradition, Cisco C. Frank, Colin Wilky, Shirley Hart etc.   Then guitarhero John Pearse (who had a regular BBC televisionshow) invited me to his house, introducing different styles of folk, rock and jazz.
Back in Holland in 1967 in Dordrecht near Rotterdam opened a culture- and musicclub "de Sleutel" where we had Boudewijn de Groot, Simon Vinkenoog, Johnny the Selfkicker and also alternative movies and theaterplays. 
A year later i met Frank Nuyens and Jay Baar from our Dutch nr.1 Rock/Bluesband "Q65".  With Marco Kleyn from the "James Mean" we made the band "Circus".  We were the 1st popgroup that played on national coloured television (in AVRO's "Rood, Wit, Blauw").
It became a confusing time with managing- and moneyproblems, organisers selling us as "Q65-circus" giving the impression we came with wild animals to the show.
So i left that media-hype and went straight (..) into the "Living Kick Formation".
We sold out upcoming concerthalls like "Paradiso" in Amsterdam but mostly were abroad with bands like Mothers of Invention (Frank Zappa), Pink Floyd (Syd Barret), the Move (Roy Wood), Tyrannosaurus Rex (Marc Bolan) on European festivals.
There was a gig in Prague, Tsjechoslowakei mid August 1968, Russia invaded the country 2 weeks later, several of my friends were killed at the barricades.
So then i thought to have seen it all, sold my equipment except the handmade Guild jumbo-guitar, found a job at a ship of the Holland-America line, wanted to sail for an isle in the Pacific.
But the stars had another idea.  Lost the train ticket on the way to the boat, wanted to buy another but found myself after midnight at a closed local station.
Walked into that town and met Diana. 
After staying toghether for a month or so we decided to get married which was, occasionally, at the 11th of the 11th at 11 minutes past 11.   Soon after that we rented an old monumental farm near the Dutch/ German border where we lived very basic for the next 34 years.  We had a lovely vegetable garden, bees, chickens, goats and a few ponies and horses.  Diana gave local children their first riding experience as a qualified (non-commercial) teacher.
From 1969 to 1989 i earned our money as a solo musician called "Electric One Man Band".  With a more or less self build equipment introduced basspedals, non-automatic drum machines and synthesizers to the singing/ gitarplaying. 
In that period did about 1500 gigs, playing every club and youthcenter you can imagine in Holland and the Ruhrgebiet in Germany.  Also many workshops with children, in psychiatry and prisons, lots of live-performances on VPRO-radio.  Had some more or less regular parking spots at Uni's and Poly's in England and Wales.  
Then there came a crisis. 
Punkmusicians on social-security overflew my stages. 
The money for music went down, i did never held up my hand, the fun and intensity in the work disappeared.  So took a job as a helpgoods truckdriver, soon went to Romania ( where they just had the revolution of '89), Bulgaria, Macedonia, Ukraine and Russia.  Because of the sometimes extreme long waiting hours and days, always accompanied by my acoustic guitar, i played for factoryworkers, students, custom-and policeofficers and all kind of upcoming clubs all over the Balkan.
Also composed songs in Dutch language and made a CD "Gevarengoed" (Danger materials) about the politics, corruption, parkingplaces and girls i had to do with... 
This CD is still a "traditional" for many Dutch truckdrivers on the long routes. 
In 2004 was chosen by the "Staringh-institute" as popmusician of the 70's in my district "Achterhoek" with an article in their pop-encyclopedia. 
In the meantime another change occurred.  The helpgoods became commercial transport like alcohol, cigarettes and all kind of "western waste". 
Local truckdrivers from eastern-europe started into the system. 
So last year they sent me home with an early pre-pension. 
Diana and me had to move from our old place and found a new setup just across the border in Germany.
This farm is the workout base of my new "Franky-onemanband". 
Now i shuffle, jive, stroll and swing with my feet over 2 sets of basspedals connected to different sound-units.  This 2,5x 1,5 meter board is my touch-sensitive accompanyband for the guitar/ singing and bluesharp. 
It took me more than a year to get the equipment on the road. 
Last summer did a few local try-outs.
Now it looks like my "best onemanband ever" is hittin' all kind of stages again
Come on everybody!!