Biography - Francis P. J. McGinnis

Makoti Drummer Helped To Give Skitch Henderson His Name

Makoti -- For "Frankie" (Francis Patrick Joseph) McGinnis of Makoti it all began in Halifax, Nova Scotia, at the age of seven. A professional career as a drummer--which was to peak as a partner of Skitch Henderson--began developing with his first set of snare drums given him by his parents on his seventh birthday.

"They kicked me out in the street and I bothered the neighbors," he laughed.

His first booking came at the age of 11 at CRNC, a Moncton, New Brunswick, radio station. "I could rattle bones," he said, "my dad taught me how, and it seemed I always had some sticks in my pocket. My mother was a piano teacher and I picked up music from her."

At age 16 with his parents' consent Frank McGinnis left his home and landed in North Dakota. "I bought a set of "tubs", headed for Montana, and started playing at Dutton. From there I went to Shelby and I guess I spread all over from there," he added with a smile.

As the entertainment field beckoned, Frankie said, "I practiced all the time, but it wasn't practice I needed as much as it was lessons. I had some when I was younger, a different type ... the "long hair stuff!" I learned most from records and different guys who were sharper. I'd quit one job and join another group for less money to learn something new from another guy," he recalled. "For instance it took me nine months to learn to play Dixieland."

Frankie found himself in hundreds of locations as his career progressed. "We played Glacier Park the summer they started Fort Peck Dam. I worked with the first band at the first night club there. It was called the Golden Pheasant and we worked sever hours a night, seven days a week. I worked every night club there."

Looking for a change of scenery, McGinnis joined a split band headed for Albuquerque. "A split band was one where you take out expenses and split the profits."

Getting the urge to travel out of his system, Frankie once more found himself in Montana where he stayed in Livingston for 14 months playing for college crowds.

"At that time I was specializing in drum solos. I met so many good people, I even got an honorary membership in Sigma Alpha Epsilon!" At that time McGinnis found he was the highest paid drummer in the state.

The year 1936 proved to be a memorable one for Frankie. "I was in Glasgow talking to a salesman," he said, "and the guy told me he knew where there was a terrific piano man. I sent a wire, he came out there, and when he got off the train I looked for a musician. I could usually tell. Off got this tall kid, all arms; carrying a pasteboard suitcase. He didn't seem to know what to do with his arms," Frankie laughed.

"They were always dangling in front of his knees. His name was Lyle (Skitch) Henderson. He turned out to be the most famous one of us.

"We were responsible for giving him his nickname Skitch," Frankie said. "We had a saying, it went "skitchy boo boo a-chee waa waa." It meant that everything was okay. Well, Lyle, he just couldn't get over it, he kept saying it over and over, he'd be walking down the street and say it. People would turn around and look at him!" Frankie laughed, "That's when we started calling him Skitch. We worked together seven or eight months," McGinnis reminisced. ""Then Harry Turner from KFYR band "rednecked" him away from me, soon after he took my first tenor sax man. Finally Turner got me too, so I played with Skitch and Harry Turner and the KFYR band for 13 months. The next winter the band broke down to a seven-man outfit called the Hot-shots. When that group disbanded in Sioux Falls we had a jam session with Lawrence Welk's band," McGinnis recalled.

"They were a bunch of sharp boys but we had a swing band and they played all that old time stuff!"

In 1943 Frankie found himself in the ranks of the Army. "I was in the European Theater of Operations, but not in special services. We could get better meals for entertaining the officers so I did."

Among his keepsakes of those days is a worn, yellowed letter from two ships officers given to Frankie as a recommendation to help him furthering his career after the Army if he chose to do so. Signed by 2nd Lt. Otis B. Copeland and 1st Lt. J.E Hawes, it read: "Subject: Entertainment Personality, To whom it may concern: 1. Request the careful consideration of this young man Pfc. Frances McGinnis as an entertainer and sincere worker in the cause of entertainment. 2. He has been an outstanding performer with his drums and receives fine compliments from all men and officers who heard his excellent playing. 3. Recommend with enthusiasm."

Another memory is a program which accidentally found its way into his keepsakes. It included 17 songs, Played to the beat of a versatile drummer, such tunes as "Hawaiian War Chant", "Sunny Side of the Street", "Ma, He's Making Eyes At Me", "Blue Heaven", and "Shanty Town" found their way to listening ears those lonesome nights aboard ship so long ago.

The Army afforded McGinnis another unforgettable experience.

"I was in ETO," he said, "Mickey Rooney was playing jeep shows. Jack Turner, my old friend from KFYR, was traveling with him. I have Jack the musicians' call. That's a certain whistle and if a musician knew it and understood it he would return it," he explained. "Jack told Mickey about me so when the troops left I stayed behind to meet Mickey Rooney. I had been on K and C rations all this time and I'll never forget the first time I saw him," McGinnis mused. "He was sitting down with his feet up on another chair eating ice cream in a bowl, dumping champagne into it. We hadn't seen anything like that for a long time."

"I hear you play tubs," he said to me. He asked me to join but I said I didn't think I cared to because they had to stay and entertain troops and I figured on going stateside.

Pausing for a moment, McGinnis said, "There's where I missed the Boat! Ten days later they pulled our outfit out of Germany. I had to go to France for Pacific training. We were 63 days from there to Okinawa aboard the General Mann APA 112. That 63 days made us so mean you could bite your own friend!"

Frankie received his discharge in 1946 and could not resist coming back to the Midwest, going to Helena, Mont., to find "pretty girls" and "beautiful people."

Combining his total time spent there he said, "I played in every city of any size in Montana. The nearest I can figure I played in about 15 states. I've met so many people, but I've lost contact with so many," he commented regretfully.

Rarely taking a question seriously, Frankie commented on why he chose North Dakota, and Makoti, for his home. "The reason I stayed here was because all the iron in my blood turned to lead and settled in my tailgate. I like Makoti, I've had several opportunities to cut out but as far as I'm concerned it's pretty hard to beat."

He was married to the late Minnie Nelson of Makoti.

"For purposes unknown, I took up painting ... Pertaining to the lead I guess." He has been known to say "I can paint anything but a shadow or a knothole."

Summing it all up for himself Frankie pointed out, "As of now I work with a small combo called "The Guys."

Always ready with a quip he couldn't help laughing as he winked and observed, "It keeps me out of mischief!"

Source: The Minot Daily News, 26 Aug 1972, by Edna Edwards

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