Frankie Smith

Franklyn Leon Smith (January 29, 1940[1] – March 8, 2019[2]) was an American funk musician and R&B/soul songwriter. He was best known for his 1981 hit single "Double Dutch Bus".

For the football player of the same name, see Frankie Smith (American football).
Frankie Smith
BornJanuary 29, 1940
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
DiedMarch 8, 2019(2019-03-08) (aged 79)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
GenresR&B, soul, funk, disco, old school hip hop
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
InstrumentsVocals, keyboards
Years active1979–2019
LabelsParamount Records, WMOT Records, Amstate Records

Career

Smith went to college in Tennessee for elementary education with a minor in music. He became a writer for funk and soul artists such as the O'Jays and The Spinners. In 1972 he would record for Paramount, releasing a single called "Double Dutch" under the name Franklin Franklin, but it failed to become a hit.[3] He was also influential in the careers of the rappers Tone Loc, Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg.

With his 1981 single "Double Dutch Bus", released by WMOT Records,[4] Smith popularized a nonsensical form of slang (from his song "Slang thang", 1981 WMOT, Records), in which "iz" is placed in the middle of a word (for example, the word "place" becomes "plizace"), or the last letters of a word are replaced with "-izzle" ("sure" becomes shizzle). A type of infix, it found greater popularity later on in hip hop and rap with its usage by Snoop Dogg.[5]

Death

Smith died in Philadelphia on March 8, 2019.

Discography

Albums
  • 1981: Children of Tomorrow
  • 2006: Frankie Smith and His World Wide Party Crew

Singles
  • 1980: "Double Dutch Bus"
  • 1980: "Double Dutch"
  • 1981: "The Auction"
  • 1981: "Teeny-Bopper Lady"
  • 1982: "Double Dutch Bus II"
  • 1982: "Yo-Yo Champ (From Mississippi)"
  • 1985: "Slapp Ya Thigh"
  • 1985: "Congratulations for Graduating"

References
  1. Indy Smith (January 26, 2020). "Indypendent Lens". Apple Podcasts (Podcast). Event occurs at 2:35. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  2. Chandler, D. L. (March 14, 2019). "Little Known Black History Fact: Frankie Smith". Black America Web. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  3. Whitburn, Joel (2003). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955 – 2002. Record Research Inc. p. 652. ISBN 0-89820-155-1.
  4. Hogan, Ed. "Biography: Frankie Smith". AMG. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
  5. Crockett, Stephen J. Jr. (March 10, 2005). "Gizoogle.com, the Wizard of Izzle". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 1, 2021.

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