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When I saw Alison Franks sharing a Facebook memory today I thought it was a good time to look back on the chapter on Billy Franks in the Lives & Times fundraising book. Alison sent me this cracking photo of her with her copy of the book, which has now raised around £4000 for Bowel Cancer UK (Beating Bowel Cancer Together).
Billy sadly died September in 2016, just a few weeks after my mum had died of bowel cancer. Not long before his death, Billy had completed the Camino Frances 780km trek from France across the Pyrenees into Spain. When I donated to his crowdfunding appeal for the walk he returned my donation. Knowing at that time how poorly my mum was, he said that there were more important things in life. It was a measure of the man, and something that I will never forget.
On the numerous occasions that I saw Billy play live, Alison, her sister Billi and their friends were always at the gigs. They all knew how to enjoy themselves, or even more than that, they knew how to enjoy Billy’s music. They danced, they smiled, and were quite infectious on the rest of us there. I can only imagine how happy and proud that must have made Billy feel…
Billy was a lovely man, a hugely underestimated songwriter and musician. I saw Billy’s band The Faith Brothers support The Alarm back in the 1980s, and they remain the best support band I’ve ever seen. Much more than that they became one of my favourite bands, and it was always a mystery how commercial chart success just eluded them. I was reacquainted with Billy’s music through the joys of social media and the internet. I then got to know him through his wonderful live gigs, and solo albums. He always had time for his small, but loyal band of fans, and would always have a hug for you He knew everyone at his gigs by their first names.
For some chapters in the Lives & Times bowel cancer fundraising book, I was able to combine business (not that I considered the book as work) with pleasure. One such chapter was photographing Billy at The Union Chapel in London. He was a keen a supporter of my fundraising efforts, and was more than happy to meet up to be photographed for the book. The original idea we came up with was to photograph Billy in Fulham, doing a now and then type idea with present day Billy versus Billy from the 1980s. However, when the concert at The Union Chapel was announced, it was too good an opportunity to miss. For the first time in his career Billy played an acoustic show back by a gospel choir. To see his songs performed in such a way was truly magical, and The Gospel Touch Choir were magnificent. Sadly, this was the last time that I got to see Billy perform.
It’s now over three and a half years since Billy died. I hope Alison and Billi are doing ok, and I know that Billy’s music continues to live on, and be enjoyed by all of us who were fortunate to have it come into our lives.
