Joey Frechette

Canadian keyboardist, singer, songwriter, promoter, publishing executive and broadcaster born December 17, 1934 in Montréal, Québec. Co-founder in 1958 of seminal Canadian rock and roll band The Del-Tones, which became The Beau-Marks in 1959. After he left The Beau-Marks in 1963, Fréchette continued working in the music industry as a promoter and publicity agent in Montréal, joining Columbia Records of Canada, Ltd.'s promotion department in 1968.

In 1970 he left Columbia and joined BMI Canada Ltd. as their radio station liaison. In February 1972 he was hired by Capitol Records (Canada) Ltd. to replace Gary Buck as General Professional Manager of their Canadian publishing divisions Beechwood Music Of Canada and Capitol Music Of Canada. At Beechwood/Capitol Fréchette expanded the catalogue beyond the country music genre on which Buck had focused, he cultivated Canadian songwriters, and he strengthened the profile of its Canadian catalogue globally.

In March 1976, with scant notice, Capitol closed the Canadian branches of Beechwood and Capitol Music and Fréchette turned to truck driving to pay the bills. He soon enrolled in the broadcasting program at Humber College and by 1980 was the Program Director at country music radio station CHOO in Ajax, Ontario. He remained there in that role until 1990 when his title changed to Program Manager and by late 1991 he left. Fréchette eventually retired to Nelson, British Columbia.

• Recipient of a 1968 BMI Canada Limited Certificate of Honour for "Clap Your Hands"
• Founding member in 1975 of the Canadian Academy for Country Music Advancement (Canadian Country Music Association)
• Inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall Of Fame for "Clap Your Hands" in 2005