NEW ZEALAND LEGENDS OF SOUL & ROCK · SANTA MONICA

Frankie Elliott

VOCALS · ALTO SAXOPHONE · BLUES-ROCK & SOUL

Frankie, 19, from Ōtaki, says the musical styles that inspire her most are soul, rock n roll, and blues. “My inspirations come from Dad – rock lead singer and bass guitarist, Steve Elliott, Auntie Deidre Elliott – a professional opera singer, Amy Winehouse, Etta James, and Elvis Presley,” says Frankie who has been singing since she was two. Frankie says growing up in a family where singing around the piano replaced TV time, she soon taught herself to play acoustic guitar and then began learning her instrument of choice, alto saxophone under Wellington teacher Andre Paris. She joined a school band at age 10 doing backup vocals. By 11 she had lined up on guitar. At 12 her band competed in Bandquest and with Frankie on saxophone they came second. In her final year of primary school, playing saxophone, her band came first in the Regional Rockquest competition playing Kiwi classic ‘How Bizarre’. At Kāpiti College under the musicianship of Dr Gioia Brunoro at the newly opened Te Raukura ki Kāpiti Performing Arts Centre Frankie performed tunes such as ‘Someone Like you’ by Adele, Ariana Grande and Bruno Mars numbers on saxophone in her solo performance music exam credits.