Franklin Stribling, professionally known as Binky Griptite, is an American guitarist,
record producer
A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure. Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...
, and
radio DJ
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile D ...
. He is best known as a founding member and guitarist of
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings were an American funk and soul band signed to Daptone Records. They were part of a revival movement of mid-1960s to mid-1970s style funk and soul music. They released their debut album ''Dap Dippin in 2002, the fir ...
, Soul Providers, and
Antibalas, among other
Daptone Records-related projects. From 2017 to 2021, he hosted the weekly radio program ''The Boogie Down'' on
WFUV.
Biography
Griptite was born and raised in
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...
, Wisconsin. He lived in
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with list of lakes in Minneapolis, thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. ...
before moving to New York City in 1996.
Following a break in his music career he connected with musician
Gabe Roth, who would co-found
Daptone Records, and was recruited to play in Roth's Desco Records house band, Soul Providers. Some of the first records he played on were those of
Lee Fields.
He adopted the stage name Binky Griptite in 1999.
In late 1997, he helped found the Brooklyn afrobeat ensemble
Antibalas and played with them in their early years. Following the dissolution of Desco and the Soul Providers in 1999-2000, he formed
The Dap-Kings with other former members as a band for
Sharon Jones
Sharon Lafaye Jones (May 4, 1956 – November 18, 2016) was an American soul and funk singer. She was the lead singer of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, a soul and funk band based in Brooklyn, New York. Jones experienced breakthrough succ ...
. They recorded their debut album ''
Dap Dippin' with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings'' in 2001. In total, the group released seven studio album, concluding with 2017's ''
Soul of a Woman''. Their 2014 album ''
Give the People What They Want'' was nominated for the
Grammy Award for Best R&B Album
The Grammy Award for Best R&B Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works on albums in the R&B music genre. Honors ...
. Following a twenty year tenure, Griptite departed from The Dap-Kings in September 2018.
In addition to playing with the Dap-Kings, Binky has played on records for artists such as
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
and
Amy Winehouse
Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer and songwriter. She was known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres, including soul, rhythm and blues and jazz.
A m ...
, with whom he toured extensively in 2007. As a producer, he has worked with artists such as
The Impressions
The Impressions were an American music group originally formed in 1958. Their repertoire includes gospel, doo-wop, R&B, and soul.
The group was founded as the Roosters by Chattanooga, Tennessee natives Sam Gooden, Richard Brooks and Arthur B ...
.
He also leads the R&B band The Mellomatics
and The Binky Griptite Orchestra.
In July 2017, Griptite began hosting ''The Boogie Down'' on
WFUV. The all-
vinyl
Vinyl may refer to:
Chemistry
* Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer
* Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation
* Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry
* Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from viny ...
radio show
A radio program, radio programme, or radio show is a segment of content intended for broadcast on radio. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series. A single program in a series is called an episode.
Radio netwo ...
airs weekly on Saturday nights and highlights vintage soul and R&B tracks.
In July 2021, WFUV announced that Griptite and the station have amicably agreed to end the program, saying that Griptite hopes to revive the program at some future point, on a station or stations to be determined.
Discography
Selected album discography. Adapted from Discogs.
*
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings were an American funk and soul band signed to Daptone Records. They were part of a revival movement of mid-1960s to mid-1970s style funk and soul music. They released their debut album ''Dap Dippin in 2002, the fir ...
– ''
Dap Dippin' with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings'' (2002)
* Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – ''
Naturally'' (2005)
*
Amy Winehouse
Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer and songwriter. She was known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres, including soul, rhythm and blues and jazz.
A m ...
– ''
Back to Black
''Back to Black'' is the second and final studio album by English singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse, released on 27 October 2006 by Island Records. Winehouse predominantly based the album on her tumultuous relationship with then-ex-boyfrie ...
'' (2006); 6 tracks, including "
Back to Black
''Back to Black'' is the second and final studio album by English singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse, released on 27 October 2006 by Island Records. Winehouse predominantly based the album on her tumultuous relationship with then-ex-boyfrie ...
" and "
Rehab
Rehabilitation or Rehab may refer to:
Health
* Rehabilitation (neuropsychology), therapy to regain or improve neurocognitive function that has been lost or diminished
* Rehabilitation (wildlife), treatment of injured wildlife so they can be retur ...
"
* Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – ''
100 Days, 100 Nights
''100 Days, 100 Nights'' is the third studio album by American funk band Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings. Recorded in 2006, it was released on Daptone Records October 2, 2007.
Production
''100 Days, 100 Nights'' contains influences from sixties era ...
'' (2007)
*
Mark Ronson
Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, ...
– ''
Version'' (2007); 2 tracks including "
Valerie"
*
Daniel Merriweather
Daniel Paul Merriweather (born 17 February 1982) is an Australian R&B recording artist. Merriweather's debut solo album, '' Love & War'', was released in June 2009. It entered the UK Albums Chart at number two. It was preceded by two sing ...
– ''
Love & War'' (2009)
* Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – ''
I Learned the Hard Way'' (2010)
* Amy Winehouse – ''
Lioness: Hidden Treasures'' (2011); 2 tracks
* Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – ''
Give the People What They Want'' (2014)
* Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – ''It's a Holiday Soul Party'' (2015)
*
Saun & Starr – ''Look Closer'' (2015)
* Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – ''
Soul of a Woman'' (2017)
*
Deva Mahal
Deva Mahal (pronounced 'diva') is a soul and R&B singer. Mahal is the daughter of US-American blues musician Taj Mahal.
Deva joined father Taj Mahal in Michael Dorf's tribute to Aretha Franklin at Carnegie Hall in New York City on March 6, 20 ...
– ''Run Deep'' (2018); 2 tracks
*
Nicole Atkins – ''
Italian Ice
Italian ice is a frozen or semi-frozen sweetened treat made with fruit (often from concentrates, juices, or purées) or other natural or artificial food flavorings.U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationCFR - Code of Federal Regulations Title 21 Acces ...
'' (2020)
* Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – ''Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Rendition Was In)'' (2020)
External links
Binky Griptite on WFUV
References
{{Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
Daptone Records artists
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings albums
Guitarists from Wisconsin
Living people
Antibalas members
American radio DJs
American soul guitarists
WFUV people
Year of birth missing (living people)