Frank Black

Frank Black, also known by the stage name Black Francis (real name Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV, born April 6, 1965 in Boston), is an American musician. He was one of the founding members of the alternative rock band

Frank Black, also known by the stage name Black Francis (real name Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV, born April 6, 1965 in Boston), is an American musician. He was one of the founding members of the alternative rock band the Pixies, along with guitarist Joey Santiago.

Thompson was raised in Culver City, California. He studied in the University of Massachusetts, before taking off to Puerto Rico as part of an exchange program. It was here where he reportedly spent six months in an apartment with a "weird, psycho, gay roommate," who inspired the song "Crackity Jones." Many of the Pixies' early songs refer to Thompson's experiences in Puerto Rico, most notably "Isla De Encanta," incorrectly named after the island's motto, "Isla Del Encanto" (Island of Charm). Thompson's insufficient grasp of the local language (he couldn't even open a bank account to cash his checks) forced him to make a decision while slumped in a local bar; he would either go to New Zealand to observe the passing of Halley's Comet or form a rock band.