Born with the Bohemian Irish name of Frank Blinkal into two generations of Chicago police officers and a mother that often worked three jobs, Frank learned at an early age about the grit and sometimes stark reality of the world he was born into and turned that into his own brand of the blues – weaned from years of trying to learn everything he could by putting himself into the middle of everything that the Chicago music scene had to offer. And it paid off.
He has toured the world with Buddy Guy and shared the stage with the likes of Robert Plant, The Rolling Stones, and Eric Clapton, but that’s only semantics that make up pieces of a scene. As a solo artist, Frank has released four critically acclaimed albums under the names Frank Bang and the Secret Stash and Frank Bang and the Cook County Kings. 2022 saw Jon Fishman (Phish), George Porter Jr (The Meters), and Cyril Neville (Neville Brothers) join Frank on stage at the Bayside Bowl for Portland Maine's Go Big for Hunger Benefit. He currently has 14 songs in regular rotation on B.B. King’s Bluesville Station on Sirius/XM.
“Frank Bang (Frank Blinkal) served as Buddy Guy’s second guitarist for five years, playing many dates. This internship along with his band mates playing with such luminaries as Magic Slim among many others has nurtured this band to a point were the blues just to seem to pour out of them effortlessly. They have parlayed their experience into creating blues music that is at once new and invigorated, whilst keeping one foot in the traditional precepts of the blues of the past. Frank’s guitar playing cuts through the air when needed or delivers poignant runs, whatever the situation dictates. ” - Greg "Bluesdog" Szalony
— Blues Blast Magazine
“Frank Bang and The Secret Stash have delivered just that with their new album, Double Dare. This is not your daddy’s blues; no sir, this blues with balls. It is not delicate, elegant, or tame. This is blues that will kickstart your heart! ” - Barry Kerzner
— American Blues Scene