b. 16 September 1958, Berkeley, California, USA, Rodney Franklin was something of a child prodigy, taking piano lessons at the age of 6 at the Washington Elementary School. Upon graduation he worked extensively with John Handy in San Francisco and subsequently toured with Bill Summers, Freddie Hubbard and Marlena Shaw. In 1978 he signed with Columbia Records and recorded his debut album for the label, In The Center, a jazz-fusion workout that was not released in the UK. His second album, You'll Never Know, redressed the balance. Aided by the hit single, "The Groove", which sparked a popular dance craze (dancers had to "freeze" in time with the track's breaks), Rodney hit the Top 10 of the singles charts and saw You'll Never Know rise in the album listings. Although subsequent Columbia releases never came anywhere near repeating the extraordinary success of You'll Never Know, they did establish Franklin as a considerable name in the fusion market, particularly with Marathon. In 1988 he switched labels to BMG, recording Diamond Inside You which featured lead vocals by Jennifer Holliday on the single "Gotta Give It Up". Subsequent releases have failed to restore Franklin to his previous commercial position, but he remains a respected keyboard player and fusion artist.

Listen to Rodney Franklin at Finetune.

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