b. Edward Lamonte Franklin, January 16, 1928 in Indianapolis, IN, d. July 31, 1975 in Indianapolis, IN, blues singer, guitarist, pianist and songwriter. His best known track was "Guitar Pete's Blues". His mother wrote many songs for her lodger Leroy Carr, and Franklin's interest in music developed early, beginning with piano, on which he was as adept as on guitar. His guitar playing was influenced by local musicians Scrapper Blackwell and Jesse Ellery (who recorded as accompanist to Jack 'Champion' Dupree), but he could change his playing completely to fit with an amplified Chicago ensemble. As a pianist, Franklin was, not surprisingly, indebted to Leroy Carr, but on both instruments he was an original and remarkably accomplished musician, who was not recorded to the extent his talent merited.
Franklin died in Indianapolis, IN, in July 1975 from heart disease, aged 47. He buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana.