Cleve Francis
Cleve Francis | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Cleveland Francis, Jr.[1] |
| Born | April 22, 1945[2] |
| Origin | Jennings, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, cardiologist |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1970–present |
| Labels | Playback, Liberty, Forager |
| Website | http://www.clevefrancis.com |
Cleveland Francis (born April 22, 1945) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and cardiologist. Active since the late 1960s, Francis has recorded a total of nine albums, including three for Liberty Records. He has charted four times on Billboard Hot Country Songs, most successfully with "You Do My Heart Good" in 1992.
Biography
[edit]Francis began his music career as a folk and blues singer and songwriter in the late 1960s while still a graduate student at the College of William & Mary, where he graduated with a Master of Arts degree in 1969.[3] He attended medical school at the Medical College of Virginia (now Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine), eventually becoming a cardiologist. However, in the late 1980s, he switched his focus to country music, signing first to Playback Records. His debut country album Last Call for Love was released that year. The album included a single titled "Love Light", which was also made into a music video.[4]
After seeing the video for "Love Light" on CMT, record producer Jimmy Bowen signed Francis to Liberty Records in 1992.[4] Between 1992 and 1994, Francis released three studio albums on Liberty, in addition to charting four singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts. In 1994, Francis returned to his medical practice in Northern Virginia. He is president of Mount Vernon Cardiology Associates.[5] Francis has performed at The Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia, and has a live album recorded there in 2006 called Storytime.[6] In 2022, Francis released "Beyond the Willow Tree" on Forager Records, a remastered reissue of his 1970 self-released folk album, "Follow Me," which includes several other folk songs Francis had recorded as demos in 1968 and 1970.[7]
Discography
[edit]Albums
[edit]| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US Heat | ||
| Follow Me |
|
— | — |
| Last Call for Love |
|
— | — |
| Tourist in Paradise |
|
58 | 34 |
| Walkin' |
|
— | — |
| You've Got Me Now |
|
— | — |
| Meet Cleve Francis |
|
— | — |
| Storytime |
|
— | — |
| Lovelight |
|
— | — |
| Beyond the Willow Tree |
|
— | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||
Singles
[edit]| Year | Single | Peak chart positions |
Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [1] |
CAN Country | |||
| 1990 | "Love Light" | — | — | Last Call for Love |
| 1992 | "Love Light" (re-release) | 52 | — | Tourist in Paradise |
| "You Do My Heart Good" | 47 | 76 | ||
| "How Can I Hold You" | 74 | — | ||
| 1993 | "Walkin'" | 63 | — | Walkin' |
| "I Won't Let You Walk Away" | — | — | ||
| 1994 | "Love or the Lack Thereof" | — | — | You've Got Me Now |
| "We Fell in Love Anyway" (with Patti Austin) | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
Music videos
[edit]| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | "Love Light" | D.J. Schweitzer[8] |
| 1992 | "You Do My Heart Good" | Bill Young |
| 1993 | "Walkin'" | Sara Nichols |
| "I Won't Let You Walk Away" | Joanne Gardner | |
| 1994 | "Love or the Lack Thereof"[9] | L. J. Kreussling |
| "We Fell in Love Anyway" (with Patti Austin)[10] | Dominic Orlando |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 150. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
- ^ Loftus, Johnny. "Cleve Francis biography". Allmusic. Retrieved May 31, 2008.
- ^ Eshleman, Tina (January 2023). "Heart & Soul" (PDF). William & Mary Alumni Magazine. Williamsburg, Virginia: College of William & Mary. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
- ^ a b "Cleve Francis is a country (music) doctor". The Des Moines Register. April 17, 1992. pp. 16T. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
- ^ "Thumbnail Biography of Cleve Francis". Retrieved December 19, 2019.
- ^ "Storytime". iTunes Store. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
- ^ "Beyond The Willow Tree, by Cleveland Francis". Cleveland Francis. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
- ^ "Music Row prints local video honors". The Tennessean. December 11, 1990. pp. 1D. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
- ^ "CMT : Videos : Cleve Francis : Love Or The Lack Thereof". Country Music Television. Retrieved October 14, 2011.[dead link]
- ^ "CMT : Videos : Patti Austin : We Fell In Love Anyway". Country Music Television. Retrieved October 14, 2011.[dead link]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
- 1945 births
- Living people
- 20th-century African-American musicians
- 21st-century African-American musicians
- African-American country musicians
- African-American songwriters
- American cardiologists
- American country singer-songwriters
- American male singer-songwriters
- College of William & Mary alumni
- Country musicians from Louisiana
- Liberty Records artists
- People from Jennings, Louisiana
- Singer-songwriters from Louisiana