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Chatting with Franke Previte: Academy Award-winning songwriter (Includes interview)

Previte was the front-man of the pop-rock band Franke and the Knockouts. This box set collection includes Previte’s hit singles, as well as rarities and unreleased live recordings and studio demos. “I had songs from the beginning of my career to songs after the Academy Awards,” he said.

He continued, “In this box set, I have demos of me as an R&B artist and songs that didn’t make the Knockouts records. Six songs on there are live tracks that are from Franke and the Knockouts, which are my favorite versions of the songs. I wanted to let the listeners and fans know that there was an edgier side to our music.”

The proceeds from the box set benefit the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network in memory of Dirty Dancing star Patrick Swayze. He shared that he is donating $1 of every proceed from each sale to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, where he is paying homage to his courageous Dirty Dancing friend. “I want people to understand that if we all gave a dollar, we could beat this disease,” he said. “Pancreatic cancer is one of the least funded charities.”

As a songwriter, Previte is known for co-writing “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” and “Hungry Eyes,” both of which were featured in the iconic motion picture, Dirty Dancing. He won the Academy Award and the Golden Globe for “Best Original Song” for “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.” “That was a dream beyond my dream, especially to win both in one year,” he said. “They changed my life and I became a songwriter.”

In addition, The song won Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes the 1988 Grammy Award for “Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.” “Both of these songs changed my life,” he admitted. “I went from being an artist to an actual songwriter. When your songs become bigger than you, as a songwriter, people don’t connect the dots. It gives me a chance to connect some of those dots.”

Previte revealed that he did a new version of “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” with Lisa Sherman, former Broadway performer, and former Rockette. To this day, this iconic duet is the 15th most played song of all time on the ASCAP list.

On the impact of technology on the music business, Previte acknowledged that for him, it is “not the greatest thing, especially for the songwriter today.” “I think the government will need to step in and regulate that,” he said.

Speaking of the government, most recently, the Music Modernization Act was passed unanimously in Congress. “Hopefully, a songwriter and a creative person can make a living because it is so sad that the companies are taking advantage of the musician,” he said. “Just think of a world without music. How sad would we be? Hopefully, we will change that parameter,” he added.

Markos Papadatos
Written By

Markos Papadatos is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for Music News. Papadatos is a Greek-American journalist and educator that has authored over 20,000 original articles over the past 18 years. He has interviewed some of the biggest names in music, entertainment, lifestyle, magic, and sports. He is a 16-time "Best of Long Island" winner, where for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, and 2022), he was honored as the "Best Long Island Personality" in Arts & Entertainment, an honor that has gone to Billy Joel six times.

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