Francis Rossi
Born
29 May 1949 (76)
Place of Birth
Forest Hill, London, England, UK
Also known as
Francis Dominic Nicholas Michael Rossi, Status Quo
Biography
Francis Dominic Nicholas Michael Rossi, OBE (born 29 May 1949) is an English musician. He is the co-founder, lead singer, lead guitarist and the sole continuous member of the rock band Status Quo. Rossi was born on 29 May 1949 in Forest Hill, London. His father's side of the family were Italian ice cream merchants and had an ice cream business in South London, and his mother was a Northern Irish Roman Catholic from Liverpool. He grew up in a household with his parents, grandmother, and "lots of...
Francis Dominic Nicholas Michael Rossi, OBE (born 29 May 1949) is an English musician. He is the co-founder, lead singer, lead guitarist and the sole continuous member of the rock band Status Quo. Rossi was born on 29 May 1949 in Forest Hill, London. His father's side of the family were Italian ice cream merchants and had an ice cream business in South London, and his mother was a Northern Irish Roman Catholic from Liverpool. He grew up in a household with his parents, grandmother, and "lots of aunts and uncles" and was given a Roman Catholic upbringing, having been named after Saint Francis of Assisi. He spent his summer holidays as a child with an aunt in Waterloo, Merseyside. He attended Our Lady and St Philip Neri Roman Catholic Primary School in Sydenham, and then Sedgehill Comprehensive School, from which he was expelled on his last day for having allowed his classmates to deface his school uniform. His desire to become a musician began after seeing The Everly Brothers live on television at a young age, after which he asked his parents to buy him a guitar for Christmas. In 1962, while attending Sedgehill Comprehensive School, Rossi became close friends with future Status Quo bassist Alan Lancaster while playing trumpet in the school orchestra. The two, along with other classmates Alan Key (drums) and Jess Jaworski (keyboards), formed a band called the Scorpions, who played their first gig at the Samuel Jones Sports Club in Dulwich. Key was later replaced by Air Cadets drummer and future Quo member John Coghlan, and the band was renamed the Spectres. The Spectres wrote their own material and played live shows; the line-up soon included Redhill-based keyboard player Roy Lynes, whom they had seen performing with a band called the Echoes who were also based in Redhill. In 1965, the Spectres played at a Butlins holiday camp in Minehead. There Rossi met his future long-time Status Quo partner Rick Parfitt, who was playing as part of another band, the Highlights. The two became close friends and agreed to continue working together. In 1966, the Spectres signed a five-year deal with Piccadilly Records, releasing three singles that failed to chart. The group again changed their name, this time to Traffic Jam, after embracing psychedelia. In 1967, Traffic Jam changed its name to The Status Quo, but eventually dropped the definite article. Shortly afterward Parfitt joined the band, completing the original line-up, and beginning an almost 50-year partnership with Rossi until Parfitt's death in 2016. Rossi had written a song called "Pictures of Matchstick Men", which hit the charts in both the UK and the US in 1968, launching their hit-making career. After some years of minor success, the band reached #5 in the album charts in 1972 with Piledriver. Released on Vertigo Records, it included "Paper Plane", a song penned by Rossi and Bob Young, which was released as a single. Status Quo continued to enjoy major success in the UK, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand through the 1970s and 1980s. They were the opening act of 1985's Live Aid, and Rossi wrote and co-wrote some of their biggest hits, including "Caroline" and the band's only number one single, "Down Down". ... Source: Article "Francis Rossi" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Filmography (40)
Status Quo - Live at Zurich Airport
2024
The Making of Do They Know It's Christmas?
2024
Status Quo, Rockin' All Over The World
2024
The Kemps: All Gold
2023
The Kemps: All True
2020
Status Quo - Live at Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park 2019
2019
Status Quo – Down Down & Dirty at Wacken
2018
Status Quo - The Last Night of the Electrics
2017
Status Quo - Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park 2016
2016
Status Quo - Aquostic - Live at the Roundhouse
2015
Status Quo: Accept No Substitute! - The Definitive Hits & More!
2015
Oh! You Pretty Things: The Story of British Music and Fashion
2014
Status Quo: The Frantic Four’s Final Fling - Live At The Dublin 02 Arena
2014
Status Quo - The Frantic Four Reunion
2013
Bula Quo!
2013
Hello Quo
2012
Best of Night of the Proms Vol. 5
2011
Francis Rossi: Live at St Lukes London
2011
Top of the Pops, 1964 to 1975 - Big Hits
2011
Status Quo - Live at the BBC
2010
Status Quo - Pictures Live at Montreux 2009
2009
Best of Night of the Proms Vol. 3
2008
Concert for Diana
2007
Status Quo - Just Doin' It!
2006
Status Quo – The One And Only
2006
John Peel's Record Box
2005
Status Quo - Avo Session 2005
2005
Live Aid Against All Odds
2005
Live Aid
2004
Status Quo: XS All Areas - The Greatest Hits
2004
Status Quo - Live Legends
2004
Status Quo – Live In Mexico Neza 2003
2003
When Rock Ruled the World
2002
Top of the Pops: The True Story
2001
Queen: Champions of the World
1995
Status Quo – Live Alive Quo
1992
Status Quo - Rock 'Til You Drop
1991
Status Quo - Anniversary Waltz (A Celebration Of 25 Rockin' Years)
1991
Status Quo - Perfect Remedy Tour 1989
1989
An Audience with Billy Connolly
1985