Background
He was born and raised in New Brunswick, New Jersey to Franke Previte, Senior, an opera singer.
He was born and raised in New Brunswick, New Jersey to Franke Previte, Senior, an opera singer.
He was with the New Jersey rock quintet Franke and the Knockouts as the singer and songwriter. Previously he had sung with the Oxford Watch Band and the heavy metal band Bulletin Angus. Franke and the Knockouts were signed by Millennium Records in 1981 and had three United States. Top 40 singles and two Top 50 albums.
Franke and the Knockouts" biggest single, "Sweetheart" was written by Previte and Knockout guitarist Billy Elworthy and became a Top 10 hit in 1981.
The group"s other two Top 40 hits were "You"re My Girl" and "Without You (Not Another Lonely Night)". The band switched to Music Corporation of America in 1984, but they split up around 1986.
Franke Previte co-wrote music for the hit soundtrack to the 1987 movie Dirty Dancing.
Academy for Best Achievement in Music. Best Song for 1987 for Dirty Dancing"s "(I"ve Had) The Time of My Life" with co-composers John DeNicola and Donald Markowitz. That same year Previte also received a Golden Globe and a Grammy nomination. Also the song (I"ve Had) The Time Of My Life won the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers song of the year award. And recently the song was chosen as American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers top 20 songs ever written, landing at number 15. Franke also was chosen as one of America"s top 25 songwriters to represent the United States of America in a songwriter summit in the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics. Today Franke helps raise money for the charity THE PANCREATIC CANCER ACTION NETWORK in Patrick Swayze"s honor. He continues to raise money for the charity with his new band, THE BROTHERHOOD. Franks says " If you"re a songwriter then you"re in the Brotherhood.".