Frank virtue biography

He played the violin as a child and took up the guitar and the double bass as a teenager.
Frank Virtue was one of the founders behind the postwar pop music boom in Philadelphia.
Originally a childhood prodigy violinist, Philadelphia-born FRANK VIRTUE took up guitar and double bass as a teenager, in the mid-1940s.

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Groupe Rock 'n' Roll US originaire de Philadelphie (Pennsylvanie) formé en 1947.

Chances are, unless you're a pop music historian, or over the age of 50, or come from the Philadelphia area (or, more likely, all three), you've never heard of the Virtues. But long before the Ventures ever got together and long before the members of the Shadows had even thought of playing skiffle music or picking up musical instruments -- and, come to think of it, even before Bill Haley & His Comets (or his "Saddlemen"), and before the term rock & roll jumped from a slang expression within music to being a musical reference -- the Virtues were there, doing a brand of instrumental music that could easily have been taken for rock & roll, at least some of the time. It had all of the elements: a beat, electric guitars, and young guys playing it who were trying to do something besides rehash country and pop tunes the old way.
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Various Artists – Virtue Recording Studios

Born January 21st, 1923, Frank Virtue was a Philadelphia musician, record producer and record label owner whose career stretched from the big bands of the 1940s to the hip-hop and rap of the 1990s. As a 15-year-old living in South Philadelphia he began to play the guitar and upright bass. He studied classical bass and upon high school graduation Frank entered Temple University and studied electrical engineering and musical arranging.

After he was discharged from the service in 1947 he formed the Virtuoso Trio who later became the Virtues. In 1958, the Virtues recorded Guitar Boogie Shuffle which became a major hit in the U.S., reaching No. 3 on the Billboard chart and No. 1 in sales of sheet music. The song sold more than two million copies worldwide. Frank Virtue disbanded the group in 1962 when he went full time into the recording studio business.

Frank Virtue built his first studio, Virtue Recording Lab, in the basement of his house at 8500 Fayette Street. Guitar Boogie Shuffle was recorded there. The revenue from Guitar Boo

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The Virtues – (Out of the Garage)

The Virtues formed in the late 1950’s under the leadership of Frank Virtue. More off the orchestra band stand than out of the garage, the Virtues were nonetheless a rockin’ quintet!

Virtue began his career with the Philadelphia, Orchestra, continued in college and then in the U.S. Navy where he became the leader of the Navy dance band.

After his discharge Frank would form the “Virtuoso Trio” and would provide instrumentation for Rosemary Clooney, Patti Page, June Christy and more.

The explosion on the scene by Bill Haley and His Comets would inspire Frank and his group to begin playing rock and roll for Philadelphia area teens at dances.

The lineup would expand from a trio now adding John Renner, Dave Kaplin, Joe Vespe, Johnny Brunno. Their early recording of “Guitar Boogie Shuffle” was a rework of an Arthur Smith instrumental, “Guitar Boogie”.

The Virtue’s charting career was entirely built upon the guitar boogie – placing two singles on the national Hot 100. They rem