New York City-born singer-songwriter Francesca Beghe has earned rave reviews from Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, and People Magazine. VH1 once voted her “Artist of the Month.” She has performed on the Tonight Show, and toured the country opening for Michael Bolton at the height of his popularity.
What made Francesca artistically resonant in the 1990s keeps her relevant today—her timeless songwriting. Francesca is an artist with an elegant, genre-defying pop sensibility and a lyrical touch that’s evocative and viscerally emotive. In addition, she’s a commanding performer, an accomplished pianist, and a powerhouse vocalist.
After an extended break from performing—but not from singing and songwriting—Francesca returns to the public eye with a smoldering live album featuring a wrecking crew of a band. The 14-song record documents Francesca’s first time onstage fronting a band in over a decade. The audio will be paired with accompanying pro-shot video that brings this momentous occasion to life. The performances took place before COVID, and Francesca plans to follow this release up with more new music—singles and EPs—and select live performances.
“The performances for this album were magical. Onstage, we were seven musicians just channeling as one entity. It felt like I was back at home, but with nothing to prove,” the Garrison, New York-based artist says. She continues: “These days I have no agenda. I just want to make music and share this beautiful thing.”
Francesca is a hidden gem singer/songwriter that has the rare ability to sound like herself while respectfully exploring a variety of genres. Her songwriting and her aesthetic sensibility encompass pop, rock, funk, jazz, soul, gospel, and country.
Francesca’s songs have been covered by Joe Cocker and Irma Thomas, and placed in blockbuster smashes such as the Oscar®-nominated movie The Bodyguard—the best-selling soundtrack of all time—and the film Double Jeopardy, starring Ashley Judd and Tommy Lee Jones. Her song, “Names on a Wall,” a touching tribute to war veterans, has been an emotional touchstone for those who have served their country and was recently referenced by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Leonard Pitts Jr in The Miami Herald.
Francesca’s career story began in the vibrant club scene of Manhattan in the 1980s where she spent a decade establishing herself as a world class singer, performer, and pianist with a repertoire that extends from classical to pop and rock. After a period fronting a band, she majestically announced her solo career with the soulful pop single, “Trust In Me.” The song earned her a publishing deal, a record deal, and was recorded by Joe Cocker for his 1987 album, Unchain My Heart, and featured on The Bodyguard soundtrack.
Hers was an overnight success a decade in the making, and the EMI record machine got behind Francesca’s debut album with the royal treatment. Her pop star looks and performance chops made her a sure bet for megastar success. For her second album, she was paired with Grammy award-winning songwriter/producer Glen Ballard (Michael Jackson, Alanis Morissette, Aerosmith). During the making of this album, EMI North America was going under and the album was never released.
Francesca then spent several years traveling to Nashville to write and record with the support of EMI publishing Nashville. During this time, she made inroads in the country world, writing with top writers and coming close to pairing her songs with other artists. Yet, it wasn’t meant to be; Francesca just wasn’t country enough for the Nashville gatekeepers. Burnt out from the grind, she met and married fellow EMI artist Ben Green who shared her desire to leave behind the music biz baggage. The couple have a son and have since been married 25years.
In 2006, Francesca surprised fans by releasing her third album, Dreamworld, produced by Ben Wisch (Steve Winwood, Marc Cohn, Josh Dion) and featuring an all-star cast of guests and musicians. However, at the time of the record release, her son was four and motherhood took precedence over music.
Francesca’s three 2019/2020 performances were her first full band shows in over 20 years. She came out swinging with a band of trusted friends who happen to be top-tier musicians. These include Tony Garnier (Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Tom Waits), Jerry Marotta (Peter Gabriel, Paul McCartney, Sarah McLachlan), Marc Shulman (Suzanne Vega, Celine Dion, Chris Botti), Daniel A Weiss (Joan Osborne, Al Green, Anthony Rapp), Zev Katz (Ben Harper, Sheryl Crow, James Taylor), Diane Garisto (Paul Simon, Steely Dan, Laura Nyro), and Emily Bindiger (Carol King, Leonard Cohen, Buster Poindexter). The resulting 14-song album spans Francesca’s career with evergreen originals and choice cover songs, including a joyous, raucous, slightly tongue in cheek rendition of “Trust in Me” just in time for the 30th anniversary of The Bodyguard soundtrack album and movie.
The album also features a jaw-dropping version of her first album track, “Let Your Spirit Fly.” Here, Francesca’s vocals and rousing dynamics conjure gospel at its most goose-bump raising. She masterfully conveys the angst of climate change and political conflict in the soulful “One World.” Other standouts include the ultra-funky “No Use Talkin” and a powerful rendition of Patti Smith’s “People Have the Power.”
Today, this new life is even sweeter with Francesca’s return to music. “I got everything I ever yearned for with this beautiful life I have,” she marvels. “Now, I have the added blessing of doing music with musicians that astound me and making decisions that feel authentic.”