Carol Fran
A Louisiana soul-blues singer with a honeyed voice and a sly rhythmic punch, who carved out a lasting career from the 1950s club circuit to international festival stages.
1933–2021 (age 88)·American blues singer, pianist, and songwriter·Birthday: October 23·The Silent Generation
Biography
Carol Fran's voice was a Louisiana gift—sweet, strong, and imbued with the slow-burn ache of the blues and the joyful release of soul. Born in Lafayette, she was a natural performer, teaching herself piano and landing her first recording session by her late teens. The 1950s and '60s saw her release a string of sharp, danceable singles on labels like Excello and Port, like the classic 'Emmitt Lee,' that made her a regional star. After a period of relative quiet, her career was magnificently reignited through her musical and marital partnership with guitarist Clarence Hollimon. Their late-life duo work, beginning in the 1990s, won them new audiences and critical praise, showcasing a deep, effortless chemistry. Fran's style, a potent blend of French Louisiana influences, blues, and R&B, earned her a dedicated following and secured her place as a beloved elder stateswoman of Gulf Coast music.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Carol was born in 1933, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Carol Was Born
The biggest hits of 1933
#1 Movie
King Kong
Best Picture
Cavalcade
Carol's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1933Born
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1938Started school
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1946Became a teenager
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1949Could drive
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1951Could vote
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1954Turned 21
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1963Turned 30
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 40
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 50
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 60
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 70
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 80
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2021Died at 88
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
Key Achievements
- Released the influential rhythm and blues single 'Emmitt Lee' in the 1950s.
- Earned a W.C. Handy Blues Award (now Blues Music Award) nomination in 1999 for 'Best Contemporary Female Blues Artist'.
- Recorded and performed internationally as a duo with her husband, guitarist Clarence Hollimon, releasing several acclaimed albums.
- Maintained a performing career spanning over six decades, from the 1950s into the 2010s.
Did You Know?
She was of Creole heritage and sometimes performed songs in French.
Fran worked as a bartender and club manager in Texas during a hiatus from touring.
She and Clarence Hollimon were married in 1994 after years of musical collaboration.
Her song 'Crying in the Chapel' was a regional hit in the South.
“You've got to put your whole life into the song to make the people feel it.”
