Rodney Franklin

Born in Berkeley, California, in 1958, fusion keyboardist Rodney Franklin first sat down for piano lessons at age six. Following his graduation he collaborated with John Handy in San Francisco and joined tours alongside Freddie Hubbard, Marlena Shaw and Bill Summers. His first recording, In the Center, came out on Columbia in 1978. Two years afterward Franklin reached the Top Ten with the single “The Groove,” taken from the album You’ll Never Know. Over the ensuing six years Columbia issued seven additional LPs, none matching the commercial peak of You’ll Never Know, yet Franklin steadily strengthened his standing as a respected figure in fusion. He later signed with BMG, releasing Diamond Inside of You in 1988, and also put out Love Dancin on Nova.