Frank Lee Sprague, born in Wichita Falls, Texas, is a US guitarist and composer. He writes both songs and concert pieces. His catalog numbers over 1000 works, including two string quartets, three symphonies, many chamber music compositions, and two operas.
In 2004 he released an album of songs in the rock'n'roll style, called Merseybeat, which featured guests Doug Fieger of The Knack and Big Jay McNeely. A sequel called Cavern, whose title is often mistakenly considered as referring to the Liverpool club made famous in the 1960s by The Beatles and other Merseyside performers but is actually a reference to the title track, was released in 2005.
In 2006 he released Merseybeat Mono, which contained all the songs from his first two albums in monophonic sound, as well as Concerto for Violin with Orchestra, the acoustic Fulton Avenue, and the single "She's Good".
Sprague's recent releases include Merry Merseybeat Christmas (December 2006) and Merry Christmas, Traditional Carols arranged as Traditional Rock Songs (November 2007), "Fulton Chateau" (November 2008), and "String Quartets No. 1 & 2" (July 2009) on Wichita Falls Records.
He is also the leader of the Sprague Brothers who have released several albums on Hightone Records, El Toro, Wichita Falls Records, and other labels.
In 2012 Frank recorded a version of Can't Get Enough (Bad Company song) for a fund raising cd titled "Super Hits Of The Seventies" for radio station WFMU.
Famous quotes containing the words frank, lee and/or sprague:
“I can shake off everything if I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn. But, and that is the great question, will I ever be able to write anything great, will I ever become a journalist or a writer? I hope so, oh, I hope so very much, for I can recapture everything when I write, my thoughts, my ideals and my fantasies.”
—Anne Frank (1929–1945)
““Novelties and notions?” What kind of notions you got?”
—Mae West, U.S. screenwriter, W.C. Fields, and Edward Cline. Flower Belle Lee (Mae West)
“‘Tis the gift to be simple ‘tis the gift to be free
‘Tis the gift to come down where you ought to be
And when we find ourselves in the place just right
‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.”
—Unknown. ‘Tis the Gift to Be Simple.
AH. American Hymns Old and New, Vols. I–II. Vol. I, with music; Vol. II, notes on the hymns and biographies of the authors and composers. Albert Christ-Janer, Charles W. Hughes, and Carleton Sprague Smith, eds. (1980)