Franke & The Knockouts

Franke & The Knockouts is an American pop rock band formed in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Fronted by singer/songwriter Franke Previte, the group included Billy Elworthy on guitar, Blake Levinsohn on keyboards, Leigh Foxx on bass, and Claude LeHenaff on drums. They signed with Millennium Records and released their self-titled debut album in 1981, which featured the top ten hit "Sweetheart" co-written by Previte and Elworthy. The single peaked at number 10 in the U.S. in June 1981. Another notable track from this period was "You're My Girl", which reached the top 30. Keyboardist Tommy Ayers joined the band soon after, expanding their lineup to six members. They toured extensively and appeared on shows such as Fridays and American Bandstand. In 1982, drummer Claude LeHenaff left the group, and they continued as a quintet with session drummer Al Wotton for their second album, Below The Belt (1982), which included the top-25 hit "Without You (Not Another Lonely Night)". After Millennium Records folded, Franke & The Knockouts signed with MCA Records in 1984 and released Makin' The Point. The band disbanded in 1986 after achieving three top 40 U.S. singles and two top 50 albums. Previte went on to write and record the original versions of Eric Carmen's 1987 hit single "Hungry Eyes" and the song "(I've Had) The Time of My Life", which featured in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, earning him an Academy Award for Best Original Song.