Frankie Goes to Hollywood

For the video game, see Frankie Goes to Hollywood (video game).

Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood in 1985. From front: Paul Rutherford, Holly Johnson, Brian Nash, Peter Gill and Mark O'Toole
Background information
OriginLiverpool, England
Genres
DiscographyFrankie Goes to Hollywood discography
Years active
  • 1980–1987
  • 2004–2007
  • 2023
Labels
Past members
Websitefrankiesay.com

Frankie Goes to Hollywood were an English pop band that formed in Liverpool in 1980. They comprised Holly Johnson (vocals), Paul Rutherford (backing vocals), Mark O'Toole (bass), Brian Nash (guitar) and Peter Gill (drums). They were among the first openly gay pop acts and made gay rights and sexuality a theme of their music and performances.

Frankie Goes to Hollywood signed to ZTT Records in 1983. Their debut album, Welcome to the Pleasuredome (1984), produced by Trevor Horn, achieved advance sales of more than a million, and their first three singles, "Relax", "Two Tribes" and "The Power of Love", reached number one on the UK singles chart. The BBC briefly banned them from broadcast for their provocative themes, drawing further publicity. In 2014, the music journalist Paul Lester wrote that "no band has dominated a 12-month period like Frankie ruled 1984".[7]

Johnson, Gill and O'Toole received the 1984 Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically for "Two Tribes". In 1985, Frankie Goes to Hollywood won the Brit Award for British Breakthrough Act and were nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards and MTV Video Music Awards.

Frankie Goes to Hollywood's second album, Liverpool (1986), sold fewer copies, and they disbanded acrimoniously in 1987. Johnson successfully sued ZTT to leave his contract and began a solo career. He declined invitations to reunite and tried to block the band from using the name. In 2004, Frankie Goes to Hollywood reunited without Johnson and Nash to perform at a Prince's Trust charity concert, with Ryan Molloy on vocals, and held a tour in 2005. They reunited with Johnson and Nash for the first time since 1987 to perform for the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest.

  1. ^ Robbins, Ira. "Frankie Goes to Hollywood". Trouser Press. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  2. ^ Du Noyer, Paul (2007). Liverpool – Wondrous Place: From the Cavern to the Capital of Culture. Virgin Books. p. 198. ISBN 978-0-75351-269-2.
  3. ^ Harvel, Jess. "Now That's What I Call New Pop!". Pitchfork Media. 12 September 2005.
  4. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Artist Biography". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  5. ^ Media, Broadway (15 May 2023). "Original Members of Frankie Goes To Hollywood Together After 36 Years | Watch Now - X96". X96.
  6. ^ "The power of marks: Frankie goes after Holly's name". Law Society of Scotland.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Lester-2014 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).