Biography
Rough Francis emerged from Burlington, Vermont, as a tough yet exploratory rock group that embodies the next chapter in the story of overlooked Midwest punk originators. During 1973, Detroit siblings Bobby, Dannis, and David Hackney—already seasoned in funk and soul ensembles—found fresh drive in the guitar-driven chaos and political edge of the MC5, the Stooges, and similar high-voltage Detroit acts from the city’s classic rock era. The brothers launched Death and issued the independent single “Politicians in My Eyes” in 1975. Its raw swagger and anti-establishment attitude anticipated punk’s arrival, an effect heightened by the fact that the Hackney brothers were African-American. Without wider traction beyond Detroit and after a prospective label deal collapsed, the group dissolved in 1977. Bobby and Dannis relocated to Burlington, where Bobby raised five children and the pair sustained the long-running reggae outfit Lambsbread. Bobby kept his Death history from his sons, yet three of them—Bobby Hackney, Jr., Julian Hackney, and Urian Hackney—developed their own appetite for aggressive rock. When Bobby Jr. encountered the rare single on a bootleg punk compilation, he recognized his father’s voice; after Bobby Sr. retrieved the old demo tapes from the attic, the sons channeled that discovery into forming Rough Francis in 2008 to carry the band’s torch forward. The name derived from a nickname once used by David Hackney, who died of cancer in 2000. Alongside Bobby Jr. on vocals, Julian (aka Jewels Isum Sparks) on guitar, and Urian on drums, the lineup features Steven Hazen Williams on bass plus Dylan Giambatista and Paul Comegno on guitars. Drawing from the same hard-rock and proto-punk blend that defined Death, along with melodic touches reminiscent of British Invasion-era songs, Rough Francis began performing in Vermont clubs. Following the 2009 release of For the Whole World to See, which compiled Death’s 1975 recordings, the sons shared stages with their father and uncle Dannis for several reunion shows. Additional exposure arrived when Mos Def asked them to open his fall 2009 tour. The four-song EP Introducing... Rough Francis appeared in March 2010.
Albums
Singles
