Francis Edward Turner was born on 28 December 1981 and is an English punk and folk singer-songwriter from Meonstoke, Hampshire.
89 Facts About Frank Turner
2.
Frank Turner began his career as the vocalist of post-hardcore band Million Dead, then embarked upon a primarily acoustic-based solo career following the band's split in 2005.
3.
Francis Edward Frank Turner was born in Bahrain, to Jane Cartwright, a primary school head teacher, and Miranda Frank Turner, an investment banker, who came out as a trans woman in 2015.
4.
Frank Turner discovered his love for music through seeing an Iron Maiden poster on his friends bedroom wall whilst playing Warhammer, and he convinced his parents to buy him a copy of the album Killers and later a guitar.
5.
Frank Turner was educated at Summer Fields and subsequently on a scholarship at Eton College, where he studied alongside Prince William.
6.
Frank Turner has since described his experiences of being at boarding school as traumatic, having led to periods of self-harm and suicidal ideation, and cited music, in particular the punk scene, as a "life raft" during that period.
7.
The first record Frank Turner owned was the album Killers by Iron Maiden.
8.
In 2001, Frank Turner joined London post-hardcore band Million Dead at the invitation of former Kneejerk drummer Ben Dawson.
9.
Frank Turner went on to reschedule all cancelled shows in January 2009.
10.
In December 2008, Frank Turner released The First Three Years, a compilation of demos, b-sides and covers that were not featured on either of his first two studio albums.
11.
Frank Turner was announced as the support act on The Offspring's summer tour, during which he documented his travels with a blog on British music website NME.
12.
On 28 April 2009, Frank Turner signed with Epitaph Records for releases outside the UK.
13.
In late 2009, Frank Turner embarked upon a UK tour with his band in support of the album, culminating in a sell-out show at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire on 29 October 2009.
14.
In November 2009, Frank Turner toured the US alongside Chuck Ragan, Jim Ward, Tim Barry, Joey Cape, Dave Hause, and others, as part of the 2009 Revival Tour.
15.
Frank Turner completed the year with a New Year's Eve show at The Spiegeltent in Gloucester.
16.
In early 2010, Frank Turner played several more UK gigs, with Chuck Ragan and Crazy Arm supporting.
17.
Frank Turner accompanied Flogging Molly and The Architects on the 2010 Green 17 Tour, and announced via his Twitter that he was working on new songs.
18.
From 22 April to 1 May 2010, Frank Turner toured Australia with Chuck Ragan, Tim Barry, and Ben Nichols of Lucero for the 2010 Revival Tour.
19.
In May 2010 Frank Turner travelled to China to play a six city tour with promoters Split Works.
20.
Frank Turner played at many festivals throughout the summer of 2010, including his headlining appearance at the Two Thousand Trees Festival, playing his new song "I Still Believe".
21.
Frank Turner contributed one song, a cover of "Build Me Up Buttercup", to Centrepoint's 2010 charity cover album 1969 Key to Change.
22.
On 24 September 2010, Frank Turner released Buddies, a 10 track split album with American alternative country artist, Jon Snodgrass.
23.
Frank Turner announced on his Twitter on 24 February 2011 that his fourth studio album would be called England Keep My Bones and that it would be released in the UK on 6 June 2011 and worldwide on 7 June 2011.
24.
Frank Turner started the recording of this album on 10 January 2011 and finished recording on 20 January 2011, with mixing completed in February 2011.
25.
Frank Turner leaked a new song, "I Am Disappeared," to YouTube on 29 March 2011, later making it available for free download through Xtra Mile.
26.
Frank Turner announced that he would soon be releasing "Peggy Sang the Blues" as the first single from the album.
27.
On 21 March 2011, it was announced that Frank Turner would be making the step up to the main stage at Reading and Leeds in August 2011.
28.
Frank Turner spoke about the "perks" of playing Reading in a recent interview with 6 Towns Radio.
29.
Frank Turner played Download, Blissfields and Cambridge Folk festivals, as well as many other festivals across Europe, and as a headliner at Blissfields Festival.
30.
On 21 April 2011, Frank Turner played his 1000th solo show at the Strummerville festival in Shoreditch, London.
31.
England Keep My Bones entered the UK chart at number 12 on its week of release, Frank Turner's highest charting album at that point.
32.
Frank Turner later released a rarities compilation, titled The Second Three Years, on 18 November 2011 through Xtra Mile Recordings and 16 January 2012 through Epitaph Records.
33.
On 13 April 2012, Frank Turner headlined Wembley Arena to a sold-out crowd of 12,000.
34.
Frank Turner opened for the Dropkick Murphys on their European tour, headlining a tour in November and December 2012.
35.
Frank Turner recorded his fifth studio album in Burbank, California, in October 2012.
36.
Frank Turner announced via Twitter on 28 October 2012 that recording was completed, and mixing and mastering would be done in time for a March 2013 release date.
37.
Frank Turner posted on his fan forum that an extended edition of his new album would be released that includes an extra 5 or 6 songs.
38.
On 19 February 2013, it was announced that Frank Turner had signed a licensing deal with Interscope Records in the US for Tape Deck Heart.
39.
Frank Turner was confirmed as the headline act for the Two Thousand Trees Festival and main stage slots at the Reading and Leeds festivals.
40.
On 3 January 2014, Frank Turner appeared on the BBC's Celebrity Mastermind answering questions on Iron Maiden, scoring 20 points in total, and coming first.
41.
In Q2 2014, Frank Turner announced that he was currently in the process of making a sixth studio album.
42.
Frank Turner said that it would most likely be out early 2015, although actual dates are uncertain at this time.
43.
On 25 July 2014, Frank Turner announced on his Twitter page that he was collating The Third Three Years.
44.
In 2014, Frank Turner announced that he was in the process of writing a book, consisting of tour diaries and travel memoirs, asking fans to contribute to the book by sending in stories and pictures they shared with Frank Turner.
45.
On 20 March 2015, Frank Turner released a lyric video promoting a new song called "Get Better" which was to be on his sixth album.
46.
On 15 June 2015 Frank Turner released the music video for "The Next Storm," the second single from Positive Songs.
47.
Frank Turner then released a three-song acoustic session on the website PunksInVegas.
48.
On 26 August 2016, Frank Turner played the Reading and Leeds Festivals for the 10th year in a row which is a record.
49.
On 27 January 2017, Frank Turner re-released his debut album, Sleep Is for the Week, as a tenth anniversary edition.
50.
On 10 February 2017, Frank Turner released a new song entitled The Sand in the Gears.
51.
In March 2017, Frank Turner was invited to visit Freetown, Sierra Leone, by The Joe Strummer Foundation.
52.
Frank Turner gave guitar lessons to some of the students at Way Out Arts, played and spoke on a local radio station and visited a number of city Slums where he played to the residents.
53.
Frank Turner followed up this trip with further visits to Sierra Leone in 2019 and 2020.
54.
On 16 October 2017, Frank Turner announced Songbook, a collection of old and personal favourite songs, as well as rerecorded and unreleased versions of old songs, to be released on 24 November 2017.
55.
On 27 January 2018, Frank Turner announced his seventh studio album Be More Kind and leaked a track from the album, '1933'.
56.
On 24 January 2019, Frank Turner released the Don't Worry EP, the title track of which was previously included on his 2018 album, Be More Kind.
57.
Frank Turner published his sophomore book Try This at Home: Adventures in Songwriting on 21 March 2019.
58.
Frank Turner supported the release of the book with a series of in store signings and solo shows.
59.
On 8 March 2019, at a show in Lisbon, Portugal, Frank Turner debuted a new song entitled "I Believed You William Blake".
60.
Frank Turner contributed vocals to the song Let 'Em Go by The Wildhearts on the album Renaissance Men, released on 3 May 2019.
61.
Frank Turner has made many live appearances with The Wildhearts, has publicly spoken of his love of the band and friendship with Ginger Wildheart.
62.
On 31 May 2019, Frank Turner re-released his third album, Poetry of the Deed, as a tenth anniversary edition.
63.
Frank Turner announced his new album, No Man's Land, across his social media on 26 June 2019.
64.
Frank Turner revealed the album name, as well as the concept and theme of the album.
65.
Frank Turner announced a companion podcast to the album, titled Tales from No Man's Land.
66.
Frank Turner promoted No Man's Land with a run of nine shows across the UK, starting at the Alhambra Theatre, Dunfermline, on 22 November 2019 and finishing at Alexandra Palace, London, on 3 December 2019.
67.
The first set was a solo set that saw Frank Turner playing songs from No Man's Land and telling the stories behind the songs and the historical women about whom they were written.
68.
On 13 December 2019, Frank Turner released a live recording of his 2000th show.
69.
On 13 November 2020, Frank Turner released Buddies II: Still Buddies, a follow-up to 2010's Buddies EP.
70.
Buddies II is the first album that Frank Turner recorded, mixed and mastered on his own.
71.
On 8 April 2021, Frank Turner hosted a show with long-term friend Emily Barker which was streamed live from the Tunbridge Wells Forum.
72.
On 6 May 2021, Frank Turner released a new track, "The Gathering", a song about people coming back together following the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 and the enforced lockdown caused by the pandemic.
73.
On 4 June 2021, Frank Turner re-released his fourth album, England Keep My Bones, as a tenth-anniversary edition.
74.
Frank Turner was interviewed by a blue-haired Scottish puppet journalist called Gloria McGlumpher and performed a version of his own song "The Road", which featured a combination of his own original lyrics and parody lyrics written by Scott Doonican when his band celebrated their 1000th show a year earlier.
75.
On 16 September 2021, Frank Turner formally announced FTHC, his ninth studio album, which was released on 11 February 2022.
76.
In early 2017, it was announced that Frank Turner was to start his own festival.
77.
In September 2017, Frank Turner and Lost Evenings won the Best Independent Festival Award at the AIM Independent Music Awards run by the Association of Independent Music.
78.
Frank Turner performed two greatest hits sets, as well as a full run through of his debut album, Sleep Is for the Week.
79.
Amongst other artists, Frank Turner was supported by Seth Lakeman and Beans On Toast.
80.
Frank Turner played one of his albums in full on each of the livestreams, and save for one exception, did not repeat one song during all the online shows.
81.
Frank Turner played a total of 21 'Independent Venue' shows and 2 other shows which were specifically to raise money for his band and touring crew and his publishing label, Xtra Mile Recordings.
82.
Frank Turner married actress and musician Jessica Guise on 30 August 2019.
83.
Frank Turner has cited The Weakerthans, Bruce Springsteen, Black Flag, NOFX, The Descendants, Counting Crows, Nirvana and Johnny Cash as musical influences.
84.
Frank Turner talked openly about his struggles with anxiety and cocaine addiction during the release cycle for FTHC.
85.
Frank Turner has described himself as a "classical liberal" and a "centrist".
86.
Frank Turner has a tattoo of, Sumerian cuneiform for "freedom", on his left forearm.
87.
Frank Turner received death threats following a news article from The Guardian that drew attention to his political outlook.
88.
In 2013, Frank Turner became a patron of the assisted dying campaign group Dignity in Dying.
89.
Frank Turner is a friend of Billy Bragg, noted for his left-wing politics.