AN UNSUNG HERO GETS HIS DUE
by Michael Buffalo Smith After literally years of cam-
paigning by his son Robin, Frank Fenter has been voted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. It is an honor that no one deserves more than the late record man. Fenter was a music industry
executive who was the first Euro- pean managing director of At- lantic Records, helping sign Led Zeppelin, Yes and King Crimson. He's also credited for introducing R&B to Europe with the leg- endary "Hit the Road Stax" tour, including Otis Redding and Sam and Dave in 1967. He later was a founder and partner in Capricorn Records, and instrumental in breaking many southern rock bands, including The Allman Brothers, The Marshall Tucker Band and Wet Willie. KUDZOO spoke with Robin Duner Fenter about his dad and his legacy.
Rob, tell us about your family, your mom Kiki and Frank. My parents were really the best. I re-
spected them and never talked back in a bratty way, as you see kids doing; and if I ever did, my stepfather would most certainly take me onto the front yard and show a few of his boxing moves. Frank, who was my stepfather but I considered him my real father, was
FRANK FENTER ENTERS THE GEORGIA MUSIC HALL OF FAME
Frank Fenter sports a cowboy hat for Dickey Betts’ wedding.
strict with me on getting good grades, doing household chores, encouraged me to do sports and insisted I work during summer holidays. He taught me in the school of “tough love,” and liked to say, “ you might hate me now, but your gonna love me later”. Both my mother and Frank were urbane, cool and sophisticated; they could relate to any age group and were comfortable in any social circle, although they came from completely different worlds. My mothers side of the family came from
Sweden, and as a kid, we would spend a month in Sweden every summer visiting my grandmother, who lived on a lovely farm with beautiful wheat fields that stretched for as far as the eye could see. My late mother had a
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