  francis "franny" beecher (september 29, 1921 &ndash; february 24, 2014), also known as frank beecher, was the lead guitarist for bill haley & his comets from 1954 to 1962, and is best remembered for his innovative guitar solos combining elements of country music and jazz. he composed the classics "blue comet blues", "goofin' around", "week end", and "shaky" when he was the lead guitarist for bill haley and the comets. he continued to perform with surviving members of the comets into 2006. in 2012, the rock and roll hall of fame inducted beecher as a member of the comets by a special committee, aimed at correcting the previous mistake of not inducting the comets with bill haley. ==career==  by the time beecher became associated with bill haley, he already had had a lengthy career as a guitarist, having performed and recorded with the benny goodman orchestra, which he joined in 1948, at a time goodman was experimenting with music in the bebop idiom. he also worked with other big bands, with singer and former goodman "bop band" pianist buddy greco and the sharps, as well as with several country western groups. he played guitar on the 1947 single by buddy greco "baby i'm true to you" backed with "how many times", released as musicraft 569, and the 1948 single "lillette" backed with "a stranger in town", as musicraft 588. his guitar work influenced young musicians playing the same venues in the philadelphia/reading area where the comets were based, among them the guitarist and future legendary comic-book writer-artist jim steranko.steranko arte noir by jim steranko, j. david spurlock, angel de la calle (vanguard productions/semana negra, 2002), pp. 16-18 beecher first worked with the comets in fall 1954 as a session musician, replacing the recently deceased guitarist danny cedrone. beeche
1921_births 2014_deaths American_rock_guitarists American_session_musicians Benny_Goodman_Orchestra_members Bill_Haley_&_His_Comets_members Musicians_from_Philadelphia,_Pennsylvania People_from_Norristown,_Pennsylvania