Wing civilian reflects on life as singer, performer

Published May 1, 2008
By Tim Geels
Strategic Communications Wing ONE Public Affairs

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE -- Most people don't know it, but Franell LaFollette and George Strait have a history. She also has a history with other famous singers such as Steve Wariner, Johnny Lee, Johnny Paycheck, and Earl Thomas Connelly. But don't worry; it's not what you think.
   She was the lead singer in a band that opened for each of these country and western artists at one time or another.
   For LaFollette, the Strategic Communications Wing ONE Environmental Compliance Officer, it's a time that she remembers fondly. While her career didn't start until 1967, her life growing up got her started in music.
"   My dad sang every wedding and funeral until the age of 80, and he turns 88 this year," the Morrison, Okla. native said. "My mom plays the piano and sings, but not publicly. I took piano lessons and was part of the choir growing up."
   Her career as a singer started in college. There was a band, the Coachmen, that had a female vocalist that eventually left, and Franell was asked to fill that role, eventually leading the band to change their name to Lovely Linda and the Coachmen (Franell's first name is Linda). They would travel around the area with disc jockeys and perform on WKY radio and was once was on a daytime talk/variety television program called "Dannysday," hosted by current KOMA radio disc jockey Danny Williams.
   The group played various venues in the Stillwater area for about a year before LaFollette's husband, Mike, joined the United States Marine Corps, where he served for four years. That took her away for a short time, but she would return to her passion in the mid-1970's. By then, Franell and Mike had two young children to take care of, but the prospect of singing for another band appealed to her.
   "I met a great guitarist, who knew a great bass player, who knew a great drummer, and so on and so on. Most of the time we were a five piece group, lead guitar, bass guitar, rhythm guitar/pedal steel guitar, drums, back-up singer and I sang lead," Franell said. "My husband mixed the sound and was the technical expert for all our sound equipment."
   The band played locally, and even opened a new bar called Tumbleweed's in Stillwater, to a sold out crowd of about 1,500 people. For the next three years, Franell juggled motherhood during the week and lead singer for a pop band on weekends, playing virtually every weekend.
   However, her musical road changed dramatically in the early 1980's. The hit movie, "Urban Cowboy," spurred on a country western craze that Franell felt necessary to change her music. So she made the switch, getting new band members and renaming her group, "Franell and the Midnight Express."
   With that, her road to fortune and fame took her to concerts of big names (or soon to be big names), such as George Strait, Johnny Lee, and Johnny Paycheck, among others.
   "The Big Country Ballroom's had most of these performers during that era," she said. "We played the circuit regularly for the ballrooms in North Central Oklahoma, and that's the main reason we got the opportunity to open for these artists. I did get the opportunity to go on the road through one of the promoters, Buddy Lee Attractions, but with two small children and my husband's business, I didn't feel it would be fair to my family to do so. Life is a series of choices."
   The group did some studio recording, and even had the most requested song on a local radio station for a summer, Cowboy Turn On. The group played together for several years in the 1980's, before she joined up with a keyboard player and called themselves Stone Heart. They played until the early 1990's when he got married.
   During this time, the LaFollette's moved to Shawnee, and Franell got on at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center with personnel, from 1986 to 1992. She then transferred to Environmental Management at the Air Logistics Center, where she worked until 1995. In September 1995, Franell moved to Strategic Communications Wing ONE. During that time, she would perform at different venues, including the Tinker Air Force Base Club, using pre-recorded music. While she hasn't performed in about 10 years, the desire to perform is still there.
   "I've thought about it, but you have to condition yourself to do this," she said.
While she enjoys what she does now with the Navy, it doesn't compare to the joy of performing and singing.
   "This is the second best job I've ever had."