For seven years, Frank Owens was music director for NBC TV’s Showtime at the Apollo. He was also host of Portrait of the Arts. Mr. Owens performed in the Hartford CT Theatreworks production of Paul Robeson, playing the part of Lawrence Brown. Recently he accompanied Hal David in his tribute at the Friars Club and Freda Payne at the High Mount Jazz Festival, and is co-author and arranger of Shades of Harlem.

Mr. Owens has played and conducted abroad, including the conducting A Fourth of July Celebration of American Jazz, Pop and Broadway in Moscow. Frank Owens was resident pianist at Mortimer’s for over six years, and appeared several times a year at the Hotel Carlyle’s Bemelman’s Bar. He appeared at the Blue Note with Ruth Brown of Broadway’s Black and Blue, having arranged and conducted her album, Fine and Mellow.

Frank Owens was musical director/conductor/pianist for many performers including Johnny Mathis, Chubby Checker, John Denver, Melba Moore, Aretha Franklin, Connie Francis, and Lena Horne.

Frank was musical director for the first David Letterman Show in 1980. Other TV credits include the Jack Paar Show, Geraldo Rivera’s Goodnight America, and Eubie Blake’s, A Century of Music. He did dance arrangements for the film the Wiz, contributed to many records and albums in the top ten, and won the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences sponsored MVP Award for Acoustic Piano for several years.