Frank Bennett (singer)


David Henry Wray, who performs as Frank Bennett, is an Australian jazz singer, musician and songwriter. His vocal style is influenced by those two singers and the music of the 1940s and 1950s. He has provided big band cover versions of rock and pop singles, "Creep", "Better Man", and "Under the Bridge". His version of "Creep" was listed in the Triple J Hottest 100, 1996. He has received nominations at the ARIA Music Awards.

Biography

Frank Bennett was born as David Wray in 1959 and grew up in the Sydney suburb of Birrong where he attended Birrong Primary and Birrong Boys High School. He played drums in his early teens. After leaving school in 1975 he found work as a store man and labourer. He started learning saxophone in 1977 and within a year began playing in various bands on the Sydney pub and club circuit from the late 1970s through to the early 1990s: the Layabouts, the Eddys, the Zarzoff Brothers, the Foreday Riders, the Allniters, Club Ska, Paris Green and Bellydance. He began singing professionally several years later as Tony Sinatra.
In 1996 he was offered a recording contract with Polygram/Universal Music and, after changing his stage name to Frank Bennett, he recorded Five O'clock Shadow, an album of lounge music cover versions of contemporary popular songs. Two years later, he released a second album, Cash Landing, via EMI Records with the themes of money and avarice. It received a nomination at ARIA Music Awards of 1999 for Best Adult Contemporary Album. In 1998 he opened for Tom Jones at Sydney's Star City and Burt Bacharach on Bacharach's Australian tour. He appears as in the 2000 Australian film The Dish as Barry Steele, a singer who sounds "a little like Frank Sinatra". He has performed on saxophone with Daddy Cool and Glenn Shorrock.
In 2002 Bennett was a member of Jim Conway's Big Wheel, led by harmonica player, Jim Conway. They released an album, Little Story, which received an ARIA nomination for Best Blues and Roots Album in 2004. It was voted best Australian Blues release for 2003 by the readers of Rhythms Magazine.

Discography

Albums

Five O'Clock Shadow

– AUS No. 65
;Tracks
  1. "Better Man" Pearl Jam
  2. "The Way You Make Me Feel" Michael Jackson
  3. "Poems" Tricky
  4. "You're Just Too Hip Baby" Dave Graney
  5. "Red Right Hand" Nick Cave
  6. "Love is Back to Stay"
  7. "Creep" Radiohead
  8. "Black Stick" The Cruel Sea
  9. "Disarm" The Smashing Pumpkins
  10. "Constant Craving" K.D. Lang
  11. "With or Without You" U2
  12. "Under the Bridge" The Red Hot Chili Peppers
  13. "Love Carefully"

    Cash Landing

, EMI Music Australia – AUS No. 78
;Tracks
  1. "Material Girl" Madonna
  2. "Pretend We're Dead" L7
  3. "Money" Pink Floyd
  4. "Beautiful People" Australian Crawl
  5. "Would I Lie to You?" The Eurythmics
  6. "Kiss Me, Son of God" They Might Be Giants
  7. "Everything Counts" Depeche Mode
  8. "White Collar Crime" Grace Jones
  9. "Opportunities " Pet Shop Boys
  10. "Everyone's a Winner" Hot Chocolate
  11. "Been Caught Stealing" Jane's Addiction
  12. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" Tears For Fears
  13. "Money Changes Everything" Cyndi Lauper

    Singles