Frank Hannon, is best known as the guitarist, songwriter and a co-founder of the multi-platinum band Tesla, and is now established as a solo singer-songwriter with his album Gypsy Highway. Drawing on his early childhood influences of American Folk artists such as Bob Dylan, John Denver, and Willie Nelson, Frank Hannon has showcased his lyrical, vocal, and "acoustic" storytelling song writing abilities on the self-produced album. Apart from recent Tesla concerts, Frank Hannon has been performing solo "acoustic" shows, one in particular was the KGGO "Summer Jam" in Des Moines Iowa where he performed throughout the day in between artist such as John Waite, 38 special, and BTO in front of 10,000 fans singing by himself with an acoustic guitar, and recently performing with Aaron Lewis who is also known for such solo acoustic performances. Frank has recently formed the independent label RedHawk Records.
Biography
The story is that Frank broke his leg one summer and learned to play guitar while he was in a cast. Hannon started playing guitar and writing songs when he was 10. He joined/started the band Tesla at age 19 but had also played with and produced many artists. He uses guitars such as Gibsons preferably his '96 Cherry SG, ES 335, Les Paul Goldtops, Doubleneck 12/6 strings and acoustics and he uses a Dove, J50. Hannon later learned to play piano from his mother at a young age. He also played the B3 organ, Bass Guitar and Drums. As the years rolled when Tesla started he and other bandmates met Jeff Keith on a local radio station. He has recorded and performed with many musicians over the last 20 years. He formed the Frank Hannon Band with Robbie Furiosi, Joel Krueger, and Billy Raney. Others that he has played with include Dickey Betts, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Moe, Def Leppard, Roger Fisher, Gary Hoey, Steve Morse, Jeff Watson, Night Ranger, Eric Martin, Y&T, Jon Anthony, Jackyl, Skid Row, Scott West, Cortney DeAugustine, Rogue, Pat Travers, and Kevin Hampton. Hannon formed a band called Moon Dog Mane, who released one album in 1998. In 2005 Hannon released his first solo effort Guitarz from Marz, released exclusively through his website Frank played at Halftime Bar & Grill in Rocklin for the Wounded Warriors Project on Dec 31, New Year's Eve of 2010–2011 and made another New Year's Eve appearance in 2012–2013 with his new Frank Hannon Band line up, Aaron Leigh, Cortney DeAugustine. The sessions included songs from his newly released album Six String Soldiers, a project written and produced with Dickey Betts, Pat Travers, Dave Meniketti, Rick Derringer, Mike Araiza and lead vocalist Jeffery Sandoval.
