Francis Anthony Christina (born February 1, 1951) is an American drummer known for his work in Texas blues band the Fabulous Thunderbirds (1979–97). He was also the founding drummer of Roomful of Blues (1967–1971).Sound Waves Interview with Fran Christina (volume 32, issue 12, December 2022)
Early life Christina was born in Westerly, Rhode Island, United States. He is the third of seven children born to James Christina and Josephine Trebisacci in an Italian-American Catholic family. As a boy, he would sneak into the local Black Baptist church to listen to the music there. At the age of 10, he improvised as a drummer for his brother's garage band. At age 12, Christina was given his first real set of drums. He taught himself music, then formed a band and began to perform at venues including a bowling alley lounge and a strip club.
Career Roomful of Blues
In 1967, Christina along with Duke Robillard, Al Copley and Larry Peduzzi formed the blues band, Roomful of Blues. The quartet eventually became an R&B/jump blues band.
The Boogie Brothers
Following Roomful of Blues in 1971, Christina joined with his former associates, including guitarist/ vocalist Johnny Nicholas, harmonica Steve Nardella, and bass player Sarah Brown, and formed the Boogie Brothers in 1971, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Except for Sarah Brown, all the members were previously part of a group named Black Cat. They became the house band at The Blind Pig, where they were a backing/touring band for various blues artists, including Johnny Shines, Big Walter "Shakey" Horton, Boogie Woogie Red, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Billy Boy Arnold, and others. in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
In 1971 and 1972, Christina and the Boogie Brothers performed at the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival.
The Rhythm Rockers, Vipers, and others
In 1972, Christina toured with Johnny Nicholas and Brown as the Rhythm Rockers, backing Big Walter Horton, and in the following year, he formed The Vipers. He then became a drummer for the multi-Grammy award-winning western swing band Asleep at the Wheel and later toured the US with Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen and The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Christina performed on two albums with the band Asleep at the Wheel. In 1983 Christina performed on Carlos Santana's Havana Moon album. In 1984 he recorded with Stevie Ray Vaughan on the multi-platinum album Couldn't Stand the Weather and in 1988 he performed with Bonnie Raitt on the Grammy Award-winning Nick of Time album. He then toured the US with Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen and The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Christina was the drummer for the western swing band Asleep at the Wheel.
The Fabulous Thunderbirds
In 1979, he officially became a member of an Austin Blues band The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Other than Christina on drums, the band included Jimmie Vaughan on guitar, Kim Wilson on vocals and harmonica, and Keith Ferguson on bass. After joining the band full-time, Christina performed with the band's second release What's the Word for the Chrysalis label. He then performed on several albums with the band.Rolling Stone September 1980 feature article
The band's 1986 album Tuff Enuff was commercially successful and was certified platinum. They were nominated for two Grammys in 1987. Several artists invited them to open shows including The Rolling Stones, ZZ Top, Tom Petty, The Doobie Brothers, The Who, REO Speedwagon, B.B. King, The Eurythmics, Bob Seeger and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Christina was a member of the band until he left in 1996. During his time with the Fabulous Thunderbirds, the band won the W. C. Handy Band of the Year award in 1986, was nominated for two Grammys in 1987, and their songs were selected as soundtracks for numerous movies and Christina departed in 1996.
Post-Thunderbirds career
Christina played with blues singer and pianist Marcia Ball and Doug Sahm’s Last Real Texas Blues Band before retiring from the road in 1999. In 2021 and 2022m Christina worked on a Matt "Guitar" Murphy tribute album project with his brother, fellow drummer Bobby Christina. Christina performed on the album and produced several cuts. Since 1995, Christina has been producing intaglio etchings for his wife, artist Julie Speed.
In 2023, he performed on Al Staehely's Somewhere In West Texas.
Citations and awards +YearNominee/WorkCategoryAwardResult1981The Fabulous ThunderbirdsBest Blues/SoulBuddyWon1981The Fabulous ThunderbirdsBand of the YearAustin Chronicle Music AwardsWon1981The Fabulous ThunderbirdsBest Blues BandAustin Chronicle Music AwardsWon1982The Fabulous ThunderbirdsBand of the YearAustin Chronicle Music AwardsWon1982The Fabulous ThunderbirdsBest Blues BandAustin Chronicle Music AwardsWon1982The Fabulous ThunderbirdsHall of FameAustin Chronicle Music AwardsWon1986The Fabulous ThunderbirdsBand of the YearW. C. HandyWon1987The Fabulous Thunderbirds "Down at Antones"Best Rock InstrumentalGrammyNominated1987The Fabulous Thunderbirds "Tuff Enough"Best Rock VocalGrammyNominated1987The Fabulous ThunderbirdsBand of the YearAustin Chronicle Music AwardsWon1990The Fabulous ThunderbirdsBand of the DecadeAustin Chronicle Music AwardsWon2012Roomful of BluesHall of FameRhode Island Music Hall of FameWon
Discography
ALBUMS(** PLATINUM *** MULTI-PLATINUM )The Fabulous ThunderbirdsTitleLabelYearThe Fabulous ThunderbirdsWhat's the WordChrysalis1980The Fabulous ThunderbirdsButt Rockin’Chrysalis1981The Fabulous ThunderbirdsT-Bird RhythmChrysalis1982The Fabulous Thunderbirds** Tuff EnuffCBS Associated1986The Fabulous ThunderbirdsHot NumberEpic1988The Fabulous ThunderbirdsPowerful StuffEpic1989The Fabulous ThunderbirdsWalk That WalkEpic1991The Fabulous ThunderbirdsRoll of the DicePrivate Music1995The Fabulous ThunderbirdsGirls Go Wild (CD reissue of 1979 album with 3 bonus tracks that feature Fran)Benchmark2000
Band MemberTitleLabelYearBobo JenkinsJust a Fool in Love AgainBig Star1972Boogie Woogie RedLive at the Bling PigBlind Pig1973Boogie Woogie RedRed HotBlind Pig1977Johnny Shines, Big Walter Horton, The Boogie BrothersAnn Arbor Jazz & Blues FestAtlantic1977Asleep at the WheelServed LiveAtlantic1978Asleep at the WheelFramedAtlantic1980The Fabulous ThunderbirdsKing Biscuit Flower Hour Presents KBFH Records1987Big Walter HortonLive at the El MocamboRed Lightnin’1991Big Walter HortonAnn Arbor Jazz & Blues Fest #4Sequel1996Marcia BallLet Me Play With Your PoodleRounder1997Al CopleyGood UnderstandingBullseye1997The Fabulous ThunderbirdsMartin Scorsese PresentsHip-O2003Doug SahmLive in StockholmDougalive12012 GuestTitleLabelYearCarlos SantanaHavana MoonColumbia 1983Stevie Ray Vaughan*** Couldn’t Stand the WeatherEpic1984Denny FreemanBlues CruiseAmazing1986Lou Ann BartonRead My LipsAntone's1987Ron LevyWild KingdomBlack Top1987Bonnie Raitt*** Nick of TimeCapitol1988Dunn Packer BandLove Against the WallTramp Records1990Kim WilsonTigermanAntone's1993W.C. ClarkHeart of GoldBlack Top1994Kim WilsonThat's LifeAntone's1995Sarah BrownSayin' What I'm Thinkin' Blind Pig1996Pat Boyack and the ProwlersSuper Blue and FunkyBullseye1997The Radio KingsMoney RoadBullseye1998Knickerbocker All-StarsOpen Mike at the KnickJP Cadillac2016Lou Ann BartonThe BestRockbeat2016 SINGLESTitleLabelYearThe Vipers“Buzzard Luck”/"Huron River Drive"Debut launch of Blind Pig1973Asleep at the Wheel“Choo Choo Ch'Boogie”Capitol1979The Fabulous Thunderbirds“Sugar Coated Love”Chrysalis1980The Fabulous Thunderbirds“Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White”Chrysalis1981Carlos Santana“Havana Moon”Columbia1983Junior Brown“Too Many Nights in the Roadhouse”Dynamic1984Denny Freeman“Out of Control”V-8 Records1984Sarah Brown“Four Hours Sleep”V-8 Records1985The Fabulous Thunderbirds“Wrap it Up”Sonet; CBS1986The Fabulous Thunderbirds“Tuff Enuff”Sonet1986The Fabulous Thunderbirds“How Do You Spell Love?”CBS1986The Fabulous Thunderbirds“Why Get Up?”CBS1987The Fabulous Thunderbirds“Stand Back”CBS1987The Fabulous Thunderbirds“The Crawl”Chrysalis1987The Fabulous Thunderbirds“Powerful Stuff”Elektra1988 BandTitleLabelYearJimmie Vaughan w/ThunderbirdsThe Jimmie Vaughan StoryLast2021The Fabulous ThunderbirdsAustin R&B XmasAustin; Epic1987The Fabulous ThunderbirdsAntone’s Anthology, Vol. 2Antone's1991The Fabulous ThunderbirdsThe EssentialEMI/Capitol1991The Fabulous ThunderbirdsHot Stuff: Greatest HitsEpic1992The Fabulous ThunderbirdsBlues MastersRhino1992The Fabulous ThunderbirdsWrap It UpSony BMG1993The Fabulous ThunderbirdsButt Rockin'/T-Bird RhythmBeat Goes On (BGO)1996The Fabulous ThunderbirdsDifferent TacosCountry Town1996The Fabulous ThunderbirdsBest of Fabulous ThunderbirdsChrysalis1997The Fabulous ThunderbirdsTuff Enuff/Powerful StuffSony1999The Fabulous ThunderbirdsGold & Platinum Hits '80sRealm Records2001The Fabulous ThunderbirdsTacos DeluxeBenchmark2003The Fabulous ThunderbirdsCollectionDisky2004The Fabulous ThunderbirdsTuff Enuff/Hot NumberAcadia2007The Fabulous ThunderbirdsPure AmericaSony2011The Fabulous ThunderbirdsEarly Bird Special: The Best of the Fabulous ThunderbirdsBenchmark2011The Fabulous ThunderbirdsPure Guitar LegendsSony2012The Fabulous ThunderbirdsPowerful Stuff/Walk That WalkFloating World2013The Fabulous ThunderbirdsThe Bad and the Best ofRepertoire2013The Fabulous ThunderbirdsTuff Enuff/Hot Number/Roll of the DiceFloating World2014The Fabulous ThunderbirdsPortfolioEMI1987 Producer/Executive Producer (EP)TitleLabelYearDenny FreemanBlues CruiseAmazing1986Fabulous Thunderbirds (EP)Tuff EnuffCBS/SONY1986Fabulous Thunderbirds (EP)Powerful StuffCBS/SONY1989Fabulous Thunderbirds (EP)Walk That WalkCBS/SONY1991Sarah BrownSayin' What I’m Thinkin' Blind Pig1996 +SOUNDTRACKSFilm/TV ShowSongPerformed WithYearRoadie“Texas Me & You”Asleep at the Wheel1979Wanda Nevada“Behind Shadowed Walls”Asleep at the Wheel1979Tex“Incidental”The Fabulous Thunderbirds1982Tough Guys“Tuff Enuff”The Fabulous Thunderbirds1986The Naked Cage“Tuff Enuff”The Fabulous Thunderbirds1986Gung Ho“Tuff Enuff”The Fabulous Thunderbirds1986My Cousin Vinny“Way Down South”The Fabulous Thunderbirds1987Porky's RevengeStagger LeeThe Fabulous Thunderbirds 1985Live from LondonThe Fabulous ThunderbirdsThe Fabulous Thunderbirds1985Don't Mess With Texas“Don’t Mess With Texas”The Fabulous Thunderbirds1987Light of Day (appears in)“Twisted Off”The Fabulous Thunderbirds1987Bull Durham“Can’t Tear it up Enuff”The Fabulous Thunderbirds1988*** Cocktail“Powerful Stuff”The Fabulous Thunderbirds1988Great Balls of Fire“Great Balls of Fire”Jerry Lee Lewis, Dennis Quaid, Jimmie Vaughan, John Doe1989The Preppie Murders“Wrap It Up”The Fabulous Thunderbirds1989Ricochet“Tuff Enuff”The Fabulous Thunderbirds1991Married With Children“Tuff Enuff”The Fabulous Thunderbirds1992The Game Plan“Tuff Enuff”The Fabulous Thunderbirds2007 + VideoBandSongYearLucky Oceans“Deep Water”1978The Fabulous Thunderbirds“How Do You Spell Love”1980The Fabulous Thunderbirds“Can’t Tear It Up Enough”1980The Fabulous Thunderbirds"I Believe I'm in Love With You"1981The Fabulous Thunderbirds“Live From London”1985The Fabulous Thunderbirds“Tuff Enuff”1986The Fabulous Thunderbirds“Wrap It Up”1986The Fabulous Thunderbirds“How do You Spell Love” ver.21987The Fabulous Thunderbirds“Stand Back”1987The Fabulous Thunderbirds“Powerful Stuff”1988The Fabulous Thunderbirds“Knock Yourself Out”1989Denis Quaid, Jimmie Vaughan, John Doe“Great Balls of Fire”1989
Equipment
Drums: Slingerland Radio King, Pearl Custom, Christina Custom Card, Premiere, Tama
Snare: 6 ½ + 8 1/2 x12
Rack: 9 x 14
Floor Tom: 16 x 16
Cymbals: Sabian 22”ride, 18” crash, K Zildjian 16” crash
See also Blues Musicians Music of Austin, Texas Music of Texas Texas Blues Western Swing List of Texas Blues Musicians
References
External links List of Fran Christina credits on IMDb Fran Christina | Actor, Soundtrack List of Fran Christina credits on AllMusic.com Fran Christina Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More Online Interview with Fran Christina on KRTS, July 2021 Mixcloud