Frankie Lee is the name of more than one artist. 1. An American Soul Singer 2. An American Singer/Songwriter 1) Frankie Lee Jones, 29 April 1941, Mart, Texas, USA. Lee began singing as a small child as a member of the congregation of a local church and later with the church's choir. In his teens he began singing secular music, including blues, R&B and soul. A regular partner in these days was Sonny Rhodes and together they played in clubs in Austin, Texas. It was during this period that Lee was heard by Ike Turner who brought him into his show, and this nightly exposure to the music of Ike And Tina Turner proved to be invaluable experience for the young singer. This was in the early 60s, and soon afterwards Lee made some singles for Peacock Records that enjoyed regional popularity. He played clubs in and around Houston, Texas, before joining Albert Collins with whom he worked until the end of the decade. In the early 70s, Lee relocated to California where he worked with Johnny "Guitar" Watson, a cousin, and also recorded a number of singles. 2) Frankie Lee is an American alternative country singer-songwriter who hails from Minnesota. He plays mostly acoustic guitar and harmonica, either solo or with a band. Born on the banks of the Mississippi river in 1982, Lee's family later moved to Minneapolis. Lee immersed himself in the city's music scene at a young age: singing when he was 13 and writing songs at 15 as well as appearing onstage with local heroes Curtiss A and Slim Dunlap. Lee dropped out of college in 2002, using his soccer scholarship money to buy a car and travel through Nashville, Memphis and Texas. Settling in Austin for 7 years and later LA, Lee moved back to Minnesota in 2010 where he recorded his ep Middle West, which was released in March 2013 to critical acclaim. Lee's debut album American Dreamer, was released in the UK and Europe in October 2015 on Loose.
