Stewart Francke

 

Coming from the Michigan industrial

city of Detroit, on to the bright lights

of national stages, Stewart Francke’s creative work has impacted the lives

 of thousands who’ve heard his

songs, witnessed him speaking or

read his writing. In 2009, his

hometown of Saginaw recognized

his work by awarding him a Lifetime Achievement Award from the

Saginaw County Arts Commission,

for “the enjoyment and insight his

songs have brought to so many in his hometown, home state and beyond.”

Stewart’s hope-filled, humorous speaking dates combine songs associated with his illness and

recovery, illuminating his story of maintaining strength and faith. He’s been the keynote or featured

speaker for GM, the Henry Ford

Health system, Gilda’s Club,

Michigan Oncology Nurses

Association, Karmanos Cancer

Institute, the Third Thursday Entrepreneur Series and numerous

other functions.

In 2013, a memoir of his battle with cancer, What Don’t Kill Me Just

Makes Me Strong, was published to strong reviews by San Francisco-

based ebook publisher Untreed

Reads. In 2006, Wayne State’s

Ridgeway Press released Between

The Ground & God, a collection of Stewart’s writing on music, life and Michigan living. The book won two

2007 National Indie Excellence

Awards, and led to an invitation to

read at the New York Book Festival.

His new CD, Midwestern: The Very

Best Of Stewart Francke features

the poignant “Summer Soldier,” recorded with Bruce Springsteen. Stewart’s been recognized by his

peers through numerous Detroit

Music Awards, including Best Artist, Songwriter & Album, totaling 13

awards. Hour Detroit readers voted

him most popular musician 2002-

2003. He was awarded a Creative

Artist Grant by Artserve Michigan in 2004. Numerous cover stories and feature articles detailing Stewart’s music have appeared in regional, national and international

publications.

A leukemia and bone marrow

transplant survivor, Stewart has

fused his music and cancer

outreach, and was recognized by

the Points Of Light Foundation in

2001 for his personal work in cancer patient support. The Stewart

Francke Leukemia Foundation was presented the prestigious Partnership

In Humanity Award by the Detroit Newspapers and he was named Volunteer of the Year by the National Marrow Donor Program in 2002.

Stewart also was named as one of

the Twilight Award winners in 2012

for his work in cancer care.

The SFLF has raised more than $200,000 since 1998, funding groups such as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Children’s Leukemia Foundation, Gilda’s Club, and the National Bone Marrow Transplant

Link. A living endowment in

Francke’s name exists at Karmanos Cancer Institute, with the express purpose of funding minority bone marrow searches. In 2002 Stewart formed Musician’s Outreach of

Michigan (MOM), placing musicians

of all genres in hospitals to perform

 for cancer patients and families.

TESTIMONIALS ABOUT STEWART FRANCKE:
“Stewart Francke is one of a kind. A talent that encompasses both songwriting and prose writing

appears rarely. How much rarer then

is a songwriter whose sensibility includes Johnny Cash and Gore

Vidal, Yoko On and the Funk

Brothers, marriage and mortality,

race relations and cancer

treatment? Standing courageously

at the intersection of rock and soul music, influenced equally by Marvin Gaye and Brian Wilson, Francke possesses all the tools: A great

voice, a vision that’s grand without being grandiose and an undying

love of sound for its own sake, along with an equally passionate

engagement with everyday life and

the people who live it. This music

isn’t classic anything only because,

like every real artist, Francke takes

 the world as he knows it and moves

 on his own course. Motor City

Serenade is the most important

blue-eyed soul record in a musical generation.” –Dave Marsh

“Yea, I’ve heard Stewart…he makes beautiful music.” – Bruce Springsteen

“Thank God for Stewart Francke.

Thank God for his feeling, healing

music, for the sweetness of his soul,

 the sincerity of his songs, the

strength of his vision. His music is enriching, nourishing music — music

as faith, music as celebration, music whose source is clear and joyful

love.” — David Ritz, author of Ray,

 the Ray Charles Story.

“Stewart Francke is the best

songwriter I’ve heard in 20 years.” — Mick Taylor, legendary guitarist &

former member of the Rolling

Stones

USA TODAY
STEWART FRANCKE – HEARTLESS WORLD
Detroit legend Francke releases his

first new music since 2002. That’s

quite a break, but he waited until he

had an album full of great new

music, and this is the result. Detroit

is a hard town and known for its soul and gritty rock. Francke has both

genres running through his veins and delivers a stunner. Mitch Ryder and Bruce Springsteen even get in some vocals on these compelling new

songs. Old school rock for a new generation.

 

STEWART FRANCKE–HEARTLESS WORLD — Counterpunch
Call Stewart Francke a regional

treasure, if you like. But what a

region! The Detroit-based singer/songwriter/guitar-slinger grew up awash in the deep grooves of the Chicago blues and Motown R&B

during what may well be the most creative era of American popular

music. Francke has a richly-textured voice, a rockers Sam Cooke. He

spent his early years as a bassist in blues bands and it was evidently a bountiful apprenticeship. Francke’s music seamlessly weaves blues and funk strands into infectious pop

songs. I mean pop in the best sense,

as in his 1995 hit “Kiss Kiss Bang

Bang.” In 1998, Francke was

diagnosed with leukemia. He waged

a successful battle against the

disease and became a vital voice in

the movement for cancer awareness

and a sane health care policy. The

music deepened, too, as revealed in

his CDs Swimming With Mercury and What We Talk Of When We Talk. Francke’s latest release is his most accomplished yet. Sure, the voice

has some road miles on it, but that

only enriches the music, which shifts from blue-eyed soul to hard-driving rock. These are brave songs about

 love in a time of war, about loss and survival amid the ruins of a once

mighty city. Bruce Springsteen lends

a gritty gravitas to “Summer

Soldiers,” Francke’s song about alienated young soldiers caught in

war.