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Biography
Onesource|date=March 2010Inline|date=March 2010 David "Panama" Francis (December 21, 1918, Miami, Florida – November 13, 2001, Orlando, Florida ) was an United States|American swing music|swing Jazz drumming|jazz drummer .
Career
He began performing at the age of eight, and booked his first night club at the age of thirteen. His career took off after he moved to New York City in 1938. Early collaborations included Tab Smith , Billy Hick 's Sizzling Six, the Roy Eldridge Orchestra, and six years with Lucky Millinder 's Orchestra at Harlem's Savoy Ballroom .
Panama Francis spent five years recording and touring with Cab Calloway . He also played with Duke Ellington , Tommy Dorsey , Ray Conniff , and Sy Oliver , becoming a highly successful studio drummer. He recorded with John Lee Hooker , Eubie Blake , Ella Fitzgerald , Illinois Jacquet , Ray Charles , Mahalia Jackson and Big Joe Turner . As rhythm and blues and rock and roll went mainstream Francis became even more sought after. He drummed on the Elvis Presley demos, and he is featured on hits by the The Four Seasons (group)|Four Seasons (" Big Girls Don't Cry (Four Seasons song)|Big Girls Don't Cry " and " Walk Like a Man (The Four Seasons song)|Walk Like a Man "), the Platters ("Only You", "The Great Pretender", " Smoke Gets in Your Eyes " and "My Prayer"), Bobby Darin ("Splish Splash"), Neil Sedaka ("Calendar Girl"), and Dion DiMucci|Dion (" The Wanderer (Dion song)|The Wanderer ").
He drummed on " Prisoner of Love (1931 song)|Prisoner of Love " for James Brown , " What a Difference a Day Makes (song)|What a Difference a Day Makes " for Dinah Washington , "Drown in My Own Tears" for Ray Charles , and "Jim Dandy" for LaVern Baker . Many music reference books indicate that he also played drums on Bill Haley & His Comets ' 1954 version of " Shake, Rattle and Roll ", but producer Milt Gabler denied this; Francis is also believed to have played drums for at least one other Haley recording session in the mid-1960s. In 1979, Panama Francis reestablished the Savoy Sultans touring, recording several Grammy -nominated albums, and keeping residence at New York's prestigious Rainbow Room through the mid-1980s. He appeared in several films with Cab Calloway: Angel Heart , Lady Sings the Blues (film)|Lady Sings the Blues , The Learning Tree . fact|date=March 2010
Awards
Francis received a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1993 and was also inducted into the National Museum of American History|Smithsonian National Museum of American History . His drum sticks are on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . fact|date=March 2010
Discography
expand section|date=April 2012 With Dizzy Gillespie
The Melody Lingers On (Limelight, 1966)
External links
http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Panama_Francis.html Panama Francis bio
Persondata | NAME = Francis, Panama | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH = December 21, 1918 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = November 13, 2001 | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Francis, Panama Category:American jazz drummers Category:American drummers Category:Musicians from Florida Category:People from Miami, Florida Category:People from Orlando, Florida Category:Swing drummers Category:1918 births Category:2001 deaths
