Frank Fafara ~ Former Arizona Teen Rocker ~ Original 50’s & 60’s Rock’n’Roll

Memory Lane

Mike Condello Road Story

Only In My Dreams

Frank Fafara’s “Only In My Dreams” album of 10 original recordings written by Frank is available in an attractive retro album look CD digipak style with 6 panels of many vintage Black & White photos from the 1950’s & 60’s era.

I was one of the regular singers at Stage 7 when Mike Condello first came upon the music scene. We struck up a good friendship and ended up doing lots of shows together over the next five years. One incident I’ll never forget happened when Mike & I and the band played a dance up in Northern Arizona. Since it was a long ride back home to Phoenix when we quit playing at 1:00 AM, we decided to stay overnight at a small boarding house run by a little old German lady.

Late that night we checked in at the boarding house, hauled our guitars inside and bedded down. The next morning we checked out, said goodbye and left. Two weeks later we got called up to do another dance in the same town. We again checked into the same boarding house and we were greeted again by the little old German Lady. When she saw who it was she bellowed out in a high pitched, broken English voice - “Why didn’t you boys tell me you were comin’ back so soon.... I wouldn’t have changed the sheets! “ Well, from that day forward it was a standard joke every time I saw Mike Condello. He would just bust out laughing in his boyish smile and say .... “did she change the sheets yet?”

Waylon Jennings Incident

I remember one “Teen Beat” show in particular that a young Waylon Jennings made an appearance. It was one of his first TV appearances as a solo artist. I talked with him while he was back stage waiting to go on and I asked about Buddy Holly. He pulled out his wallet and showed me a rumpled, small photo strip like you take in a kiosk in a drugstore. It showed him and Buddy and one of the Crickets making funny poses just before Buddy’s final show and plane crash. As he showed me the photos I could see that Waylon was still visibly effected by the tragedy. After the show Waylon told me he was looking for some original songs to record and he’d love to hear some of mine. Just give him a ring and we could get together. That was the last conversation I ever had with Waylon and it still rings in my ears. As fate would have it I never got back in touch with him on my songs. Life took us down different roads. But I’ve never stopped wondering , what if ?

~ Special Thanks ~

Jack Curtis ~ That special person who took me under his wing and gave me the chance to record and start a lifelong career in music. Floyd & Mary Ramsey ~ You put Phoenix on the rock’n roll map in the 50’s & 60’s with Audio Recorders and MCI Records. Jack Miller ~ A gifted studio engineer I was lucky to have on my first recordings. Wallace & Ladmo ~ for creating some of the most entertaining shows the valley has ever known. Pat McMahon ~ for your wit & personality at valley rock’n roll shows. John Dixon ~ Phoenix rock’n roll historian & discographer extraordinaire. Joan Fafara Hacker ~ My wonderful sister who shares these precious memories with me. Rick Hacker ~ my brother-in-law who has always believed in my music. Henry Fafara ~ Thanks Dad for my first guitar and being there for me. Sylvia Fafara & Marie Meyer ~ My Mother and Richard’s Mother who encouraged us to pursue our musical dreams. Patty Parker ~ my wife and musical companion, whose love and enthusiasm guided this album
down that long road of dimly lit dreams to the bright sunshine of reality.