Artist: Jimmy Francis
I’m a singer, musician, songwriter as well as an actor, comedian, writer, poet, photographer, filmmaker and all-around artist from Southern California. “Christmas In Hawaii” is my first music single. I also won a stand-up comedy competition at Flappers Comedy Club in Burbank, California and made a graphic novel “Hyperdork: Years And Years Of Trauma” (available on Amazon). I wrote, produced and directed a short film for MTV’s AIDS Awareness Project and won the best actor award from the Inland Theatre League for playing Billy Bibbit in the play “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.” I’ve also had some cartoons posted on “Humor Outcasts” and a humorous essay I wrote about Zombies has been accepted for publication in the Halloween issue of “Canvas Literary Journal.” The guitar is my favorite instrument. I also dabble with harmonica, piano, drums, and other percussion instruments. I played drums first, my grandparents would always give me an empty coffee can and two pencils to play with when I was little, my mom then bought me toy drum sets, I started taking lessons and played in the school band from elementary through middle school. During this time I would always steal my dad’s acoustic guitar and try to play it. My dad taught me some chords and basic strumming. Then my dad bought me an electric guitar. I started taking lessons and found out a friend of mine got an electric guitar around the same time I did so we started getting together to jam, garage bands, followed. I even got good enough that I started giving lessons. I also enjoy surfing and scuba diving.
Who has been the most influential in your music and why?
Both parents and my maternal grandparents were instrumental in me taking up music as a hobby, learning different instruments. Musical influences, I’m kind of all over the place but main influences would be: David Bowie, The Doors, The Ramones, Nirvana, Cream, Pink Floyd, Oingo Boingo, Nine Inch Nails, The Cure, Oasis, Coldplay, Blink 182, Green Day, Avril Lavigne, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath/Ozzy Osbourne, Frank Zappa, Inxs, Van Halen, Leroy Francis, The Jim Mitchells, Imagine Dragons, Rob Thomas/Matchbox Twenty, Train, Calpurnia, The Beach Boys, Iggy Pop/The Stooges, Simon And Garfunkel/Paul Simon of course The Beatles, probably The Rolling Stones and with them trying to make a comedic song: Adam Sandler, Steve Martin, The Blues Brothers and several cartoons (theme songs and other).
When did you know that this was the right path for you?
Whatever I do or try, mostly creative arts but whatever it is, I keep coming back to music. I have to write songs, even if they’re just for me. It’s how I deal with my emotions, whatever I’m dealing with, good or bad, I have to write songs, play music, listen to music. It’s just integral to my existence. Music is like breathing for me. I hope to share more of my songs with the world and this single is the start.
What do you like most about what you do?
Being creative. Being able to turn my emotions, even dark ones like depression into art. To be able to connect with someone through music, having a shared emotional experience, being able to make someone laugh or cry and if they’re having a rough day, to be able to help them get through it and feel better. That’s as close to magic in the real world that I can think of.
What do you most hope to accomplish with your influence?
Kind of a continuation of my answer to the previous question, to be able to touch people emotionally. Hopefully, help someone feel better when they feel down like the world’s against them. If I can do that whether it’s with a laugh, a cry, something in between, that’s what I hope to accomplish. Not to mention, it’s the only thing I can think to try to get women to like me.
What is the biggest obstacle you have faced in your career, and how did you overcome it?
Promotion. I can create songs, jokes, short films, take pictures, but I don’t know how to get noticed in a big way. I use social media of course but sometimes I just don’t know what else to do to get noticed. Also, professional recording studios are expensive.
What do you want people to remember most about you and your career?
I helped make lives better, at least from time to time. I was very creative.
https://open.spotify.com/track/1EeOfxTKfel1FFMAewjYdH?si=mM9o5xFXQcWlc5Ay0UH-UQ
Song name: Christmas In Hawaii
Music Genre: Alternative and Holiday
“Christmas In Hawaii” is a parody of “White Christmas.” The basic premise being switching the lyrics from White snow to the white, sandy beaches of Hawaii. But there’s more to it than just feeling like twisting some song lyrics around. The song came about from an incident in high school where my mom brought up going to Hawaii for Christmas and I got all excited then it didn’t happen. This left me feeling let down and a little depressed, this was also Christmas season I was hearing a lot of Christmas songs including “White Christmas.” So I started working through my sadness by writing a song, something I tend to do. I was dreaming of a different kind of White Christmas than the song is about. It just seemed to make sense to me to write a Christmas song about beaches, Hawaii and surfing. So at first I was just kind of moping about, twisting lyrics and the whole concept of “White Christmas” to the kind of Christmas I was dreaming of, then add some angst from the situation with my mom and the Hawaii Christmas trip that wasn’t to be, try to find some humor in the situation and throw in a cool saxophone solo. I also heard about song parodies and novelty songs that many comedians have done whether it’s Adam Sandler or Steve Martin and I thought with the attention I’ve gotten as a stand-up comedian, start with this song for an official music single and see what happens. The end of the song was inspired by David Bowie’s “The Laughing Gnome”, the end of The Ramones’ “Pinhead”, Black Sabbath’s “Am I Going Insane (Radio)” and several Chipmunks songs.
Link to play:: https://open.spotify.com/album/5bAEFSIjUxj09739OEsGnF
I live in Southern California. I spend most of my time playing guitar and writing songs. I also write jokes, cartoons, short stories, poetry, screenplays. I make short films, take lots of pictures, draw, paint, play a lot of video games, probably watch too much Netflix, especially British, Irish and Australian Movies and tv shows. I love the beach, surfing, and scuba diving, being on large boats, breathing that cool, salty ocean air. I spend a lot of time listening to music, all sorts of music. I read a lot, mostly history, biographies and autobiographies, poetry, classic literature, science fiction, and comic books. I love nature, I also love technology.
What are you most looking forward to this next month?
Getting on lots of podcasts and playlists and seeing my song getting lots and lots of streams.
Website & social media links:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/hyperpiperjlf
Twitter: www.twitter.com/hyperpiperjlf
YouTube: www.youtube.com/jimmyfrancis7