By: Mackenzie Payne '17
Bradley University and the Department of Music hosted the 2nd annual Jazz Tribute Concert Unforgettable on Friday, November 18 and Saturday, November 19 in the Hartmann Center for the Performing Arts.
Doug Frank, former president of Warner Bros Music Operations and current adjunct faculty member at Bradley University and the Bradley Hollywood Semester in LA, accompanied the Bradley’s Jazz Ensemble and guest singer and Bradley alum Stephanie Aaron. The jazz concert focused on American classics such as “Cheek to Cheek,” “Unforgettable,” “Almost Like Being in Love” and others.
Frank promised that the concert will be one to remember, and as someone whose background spans the length and depth of the music industry, his opinion carries weight.
After graduating from Brooklyn College, Frank found success as a composer, writing songs for legends such as Dionne Warwick.
“I moved down to Los Angeles in 1985,” recalled Frank. “I was writing, but I was also doing something for an agency that represented very famous rock ‘n’ roll bands. I was like an agent for these bands as far as their work in film and television were concerned.”
From The Police to Simple Minds, Frank worked with some of the biggest names in music.
Through the connections he developed as an agent, Frank made the move into movies and started working for Warner Brothers. Over time, he worked his way up the chain of command to his role as President of Music Operations.
“I worked on about 500 movies in my career,” mentioned Frank. Those movies included the Harry Potter franchise, the Batman movies, Happy Feet, and many others.
“I decided in 2010 that I just didn’t want that full-time job any more, I didn’t want the full-time pressure. It’s a very high pressure situation because so much money is involved in the making of these movies,” said Frank. “So I decided that I needed a break from that and I wanted to get off the hamster wheel and start doing other things.”
Towards the end of his time at Warner Brothers, Frank was hired by Celine Dion to consult on her Las Vegas show.
“Entertainment is a business of relationships. So if she wants to sing a particular song, securing the rights to do so is a lot better if you know who all the players are than if you’re just making a cold phone call. And plus, I was credible simply because I was in that position for a long time,” said Frank.
Starting a consulting business was the obvious next step for Frank, and it is something he maintains today.
Then, however, Frank came to Bradley.
“It’s a cute story,” laughed Frank.
When his oldest daughter was looking at colleges that offered music business programs, Bradley’s name was one of the first on the list.
“It’s not what she wanted. She, at the time, was attracted to a big university,” said Frank. “And, as Dean Jeff Huberman, Dean of the College of Communications and Fine Arts, likes to say, ‘Doug’s daughter didn’t come to Bradley, but Doug did.’ I just became so enamored with the professionalism of the professors and the administration and how hard they worked for their students and how much they cared about their students.”
“In terms of entertainment, it would appear that Bradley is somewhat geographically challenged,” quipped Frank. “The movie business is not centered in Peoria. So I just decided to adopt the school in a way because I just loved what was going on here.”
Frank teaches two classes, one which he Skypes into on Bradley’s campus and the other which is offered to students participating in Bradley’s Hollywood Semester.
“I measure the length of this relationship with the age of my oldest daughter. . . . I’ve had this warm relationship with Bradley for fourteen years now,” said Frank.
Doug Frank accompanying Stephanie Aaron and the Bradley University Jaz Ensemble under the direction of Todd Kelly for the very successful Jazz Tribute Concert.
