The DeFranco Family

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The DeFranco Family
OriginPort Colborne, Ontario
Canada
GenresBubblegum pop
Years active1972–1978, 2000[1]
Labels20th Century Fox Records
Past members
  • Tony DeFranco
  • Benny DeFranco
  • Marisa DeFranco
  • Nino DeFranco
  • Merlina DeFranco

The DeFranco Family, featuring Tony DeFranco, was a 1970s

group and family from Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada
. The group, all siblings, consisted of guitarist Benny DeFranco (born 11 July 1953); keyboardist Marisa DeFranco (born 23 July 1954); guitarist Nino DeFranco (born 19 October 1955); drummer Merlina DeFranco (born 20 July 1957); and lead singer Tony DeFranco (born 31 August 1959).

The group had a number of

teen magazines of this period, such as Tiger Beat
and Flip. By the late 1970s, the group had faded from the pop scene.

Biography

The five siblings who comprised the DeFranco Family were born to Italian immigrant parents and raised in Port Colborne and Welland, Ontario. Initially performing as the DeFranco Quintet, the group found success after a demo tape of their songs was heard by Sharon Lee, editor of teen magazine Tiger Beat. Impressed by what she heard, Lee arranged for Charles Laufer to fly the group to Los Angeles for an audition. Laufer signed the group to an exclusive deal with his company, Laufer Entertainment, financed a three-song demo, and helped them to secure a contract with 20th Century Records.

The DeFranco Family recorded at United Western Recorders studios in Hollywood with accompaniment by Wrecking Crew veterans Hal Blaine on drums, Larry Carlton on guitar, and Max Bennett on bass. They appeared on Dick Clark's American Bandstand nine times.

With their lighthearted approach to music, the DeFranco Family became a successful pop music act in the mid-1970s. They benefited from two major factors: the imposition of

gold disc by the R.I.A.A in November 1973.[3] The song's writer, Purdue alumnus Michael T. Kennedy, was a long-time executive at Boeing/McDonnell Douglas.[4] Their second single, "Abra-Ca-Dabra," which reached the Top 40, was followed by their final hit, "Save the Last Dance for Me," which reached number 18 on the charts in May 1974. Much of their success in 1973 came at the expense of the Osmonds, who (themselves making an attempt at proselytizing with their music that year) declined in popularity, though they would recover in 1974.[5]

The DeFranco Family's active career reached a roadblock after that point. Family quintets were beginning to fall out of favor in the mid-1970s as

20th Century Records, to fire Meskell and team the group with Mike Curb, who had previously worked with The Osmonds. But the collaboration proved disastrous. When Curb attempted to recast the group as a cover
band, they resisted and severed their relationship with their publisher and manager, Charles Laufer and Laufer Entertainment, and 20th Century Records.

Unable to attract interest from another label, they continued to tour and perform in

B.B. King's Nightclub
in Los Angeles in April 2000.

The siblings took up residences in California within an hour's drive from each other and remain close. Although the family gave up its involvement in the music industry, Tony and Marisa perform on occasion. [6] Tony is a real estate agent with Sotheby's International. [7]

Discography

Albums

  • Heartbeat - It's a Lovebeat (1973)
  • Save the Last Dance for Me (1974)

Singles

Television appearances

References

  1. ^ Craig Harris. "The DeFranco Family". AllMusic. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  2. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
  3. ISBN 0-214-20512-6
    .
  4. ^ "2000 AAE Distinguished Engineering Alumnus". Engineering.purdue.edu. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
  5. ^ Ross, Sean (September 21, 2020). "Lost Factor 1971: Some Songs Are Like a Broken Yo-Yo". RadioInsight.com. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  6. ^ "Heartbeats, Lovebeats and Tiger Beats: A Conversation with Tony DeFranco". Confessions of a Pop Culture Addict. Retrieved 2013-01-24.
  7. ^ "Tony DeFranco" sothebysrealty.com Retrieved July 29, 2023

External links

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