Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 16:07, 19 January 2006

Contemporary Christian musician Don Francisco was born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1946, the son of a Christian seminary professor. Even so, until the age of 28, he pursued a career singing secular music, until an experience (which he saw as being supernatural) persuaded him to start playing Christian music. His style is mainly country music, but he has recorded songs which cover the spectrum from balladic to rock n roll.

He is most well known for his narrative songs, for example 'too small a price' in which he sings from the point of view of one of the two thieves crucified with Jesus, and his comforting narratives including 'I'll never let go of your hand'.

One of his most famous story songs is the only one not taken directly from a bible story. "The package" (re-recorded a number of times for a number of albums) is the story of a man woken up early in the morning by the devil knocking on his door with a package for him.

He occasionally goes on the road with a full band (often with the support of Mike Banta), but most often he and his wife, Wendy, perform as a duo.

Discography

Out of print CDs are still available on CDr direct from the artist.

• Brother of the Son 1976 (out of Print)
• Forgiven1977 (out of Print)
• Got to Tell Somebody 1979 (out of Print)
• The Traveler 1981 (out of Print)
• The Live Concert 1982 (out of Print)
• Holiness 1984 (out of Print)
• One Heart at a Time 1985 (out of Print)
• The Poet 1985 (out of Print?)
• Power 1987 (out of Print)
• High Praise 1988 (out of Print)
• Live in the UK 1989 (out of Print)
• Early Works 1991 (out of Print?)
• Vision of the Valley 1991 (out of Print)
• Come Away 1992 (out of Print)
• He's Alive 1997
• Genesis and Job (out of Print)
• Beautiful to Me 1998
• Grace on Grace 1999
• Only Love is Spoken Here 2001
• The Package
• The Promises 2003 (Spoken Word)
• That I May Know You 2005

collections

• He's Alive, Collection Vol. I 1996
• He's Alive, Collection Vol. II 1998
• He's Alive, Collection Vol. III 2004

Overview

In 1997 Don Francisco recorded "I Don't Care Where You've Been Sleeping" for the "He's Alive" album. According to the members website: "We get more letters about the healing impact this of song than any other except He's Alive." However, the recording company he was with at that time were worried by the content of the song and might offend people because it was "too radical" and so they deleted it. Ironically, it is considered by many to be one of his best songs.

It was for reasons such as this that eventually Don Fancisco opted to operate independently which while affording him more control seems to have had no ill effect on his musical output or quality.

Some of Don Fransisco's songs deal with what his site calls Churchianity where the habit of church life replaces actual Christianity. Such songs include: "Stand Up" ("Only Love is Spoken Here", 2004), "Steeple Song", "Everybody Else But Me" & "Beautiful to Me" ("Beautiful to Me", 1998), "The Rule of the Spirit" & "Call Nobody Teacher Here, my child" ("Grace on Grace", 1999) and "Pushin On" which is currently unreleased and available only from his websites members only download section.

Don Francisco released an "album" which consists only of selected and paraphrased readings from the Bible. The disk is called "The Promises" and is a collaboration between Don and Wendy Francisco released in 2003 under the Airlift Recordings label. Track Listing:

• "The Word"
• "Salvation"
• "Grace"
• "Faith"
• "Health"
• "Prosperity"
• "Deliverance"
• "Encouragement"
• "Hope"
• "Peace"

Don Francisco and Copyright

Like any artist Don Fransisco retains full copyright on all his work but provides chord charts and lyrics for most of his songs. In addition to this many of his albums have been recorded sans-lyrics so that an enthusastic fan might sing them for themselves.

In addition to this rather liberal approach to the base material, his site actively encourages its download members to create CD's for friends that might appreciate (the site actually says "...might be blessed...") a custom Don Francisco and Friends CD with the limits against sale and so forth and the simple requirement that the website URL be written on each CD.

External link

• Official site
• Official site (alt)

This article about an American musician is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e

This biographical article about a person in connection with Christianity is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e

This article on a singer-songwriter is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e

• American musician stubs
• Christian biography stubs
• Singer-songwriter stubs
• Christian musicians