William “Whop” Frazier
Washington DC Blues-Soul Legend
Whop Frazier was a Washington DC blues singer and bassist who was a popular draw throughout the city and surrounding area blues clubs for many years. Over the years, he played with Carl Anderson, the Bad Influence Band and his own Whop Frazier & Friends By Choice.
Whop explained how he got his nickname, “Well, it came about for a couple reasons. I started out using a pick on the bass that made a whopping sound. But as a teenager I also was known for exaggerating. The guys laughed and talked about me telling whoppers of tales. One of ‘em suggested they call me Whop. The name stuck.”
“I became interested in music ‘cause I was hanging around musicians all the time. I was a young teenager when I started trying to play guitar and got tips from “Skip” Pitts. He was the guitarist who did the wah-wah thing for Isaac Hayes. He said my fingers were too long for the guitar and suggestedI take up electric bass. … I was gigging by the time I was about 14. I played at the Spa Club on 14th and T Streets. I also played the Coach Lounge where Billy Stewart sometime played. In fact, I dated Billy’s cousin for a while. I also played with Bill Harris at clubs on U Street.”
Discography
From funk-influenced blues to exceptional ballads with soulful vocal deliveries, Whops’s full discography shows an artist in full control of his talents.
BE COOL (SINGLE)
Enjoy the new remastered version of ‘Be Cool’ by Whop Frazier, featuring Roger Edsall on harmonica, Bobby Thompson on guitar, Will Bridges on saxophone, Vince Evans on keyboards, and Earl Ivey on drums
Live at the 17th Annual Bluebird Blues Festival
Enjoy this live Whop Frazier album from 2011, on Spotify