Cancer takes bass player as band’s record receives airplay across three continents
A BURTON band have been left devastated by the death of their “phenomenal” bass player just after the release of their debut single.
Dad-of-two Frank Codrington was “so proud” of Chromestar’s release, Dreams Are Not Worth Waiting For, which received airplay across three continents and attracted interest from record labels.
But his fellow musicians were left shocked when he told them he had pancreatic cancer and he died little more than a month later.
He will be best known around Burton for playing in classic rock cover band Deja Vu, whose members set up soft rock act Chromestar as a side project to perform their self-penned music.
Singer and guitarist Scott Towns said: “When we released our single in June last year, so many of the people who responded commented on how great the bass player was on the track. We were just gutted when he told us he wasn’t well and then passed away just a few weeks later.
“He was a private guy and it was a big surprise to some people - a shock to everyone. Frank’s will be big shoes to fill. Everything we do now will be in his memory.
“He was loved by everyone; a softly spoken guy and a phenomenal bass player - the best I’ve ever played with. Frank was such a well-loved guy and always had a smile on his face that would light up a room always impeccably dressed.”
Frank, who was 64 and living in Derby when he died, will now tragically miss the release of Chromestar’s debut album, which he never got to finish.
Guest players will complete the record - something Scott, 52, has mixed feelings about.
He said: “People will remember him for Deja Vu, which he joined about eight years ago - people at our gigs always used to be blown away by this amazing bass player.
“Our music wasn’t really the style you felt he’d want to play, being more of a funk and soul bass player, but he fitted right into our band straight away and loved the songs.
“I’ve built up some connections through my stage managing work and after we released our single as Chromestar, we got such an amazing response internationally and got played in the US, Australia and around Europe.
“We’ve had some interest from a couple of record labels, one of which is a distribution partner of Sony, so it was a really big deal for us.
“All through the 80s and 90s when I was a kid, all I wanted was a record contract and now we have a couple of potential offers. The industry’s a different place now and so many people do it without a label, but to have that interest is massive for us.
“The sad thing is, of course, that we released the single in June not knowing Frank wasn’t well and, within weeks, we got the news it was pancreatic cancer and he died on August 30. It was just such a shock and happened so quickly. It’s left a really big hole. We’ve got some friends who’ve offered to step in and cover bass duties, which is great, but I don’t know how I’ll feel about it it’ll be so strange not to be playing alongside Frank. One of the last things he said to me, though, was he wanted us to carry on.”
Scott has been hit hard by Frank’s loss, decades after the pair first met at Abbey Music in Market Place, Burton. Scott said: “I met him in 1982 when I was working there as a teenager on a Saturday.
“He was a regular in there and we forged a friendship. We played together in a few bands in the 80s before we started Deja Vu years later.
“I also used to work in R.e.cords, which later became Oasis Records, in High Street and he used to come in there too. I was doing a Facebook Live performance during lockdown and it all just hit me and I broke down and started crying.
“You don’t realise how much it’s affected you and it just hits you when you’re playing that suddenly he’s not there any more.
“You just always expect him to be on other end of the phone.”
Dreams Are Not Worth Waiting For was written by Scott and keyboard player Andy Price, with Burton guitar teacher Roy Robinson on lead guitar, Alan Whiteland on piano and Frank on bass.
Scott - who works as rock band FM’S stage and tour manager - produced the track at his own Iris Music studio.