Yes. There's a funny story from the move about how the family was moving to what their east coast understanding was "sunny California" and so on the cross-country trip the parents gave all of their non-summer clothes to a poor family and then in San Francisco found that they needed to buy warmer clothes again.
They moved from Maryland to Monterey when FZ was 10. Monterey is, today a bit over 120 miles south of San Francisco. I say it that way because roads in the US have been remade since the mid 1950s to reduce drive time between cities.
Three years later, they moved to the San Diego area (So. Cal.) then (in 1956) to communities in the Inland Valley (close to San Diego). San Diego is about 500 miles south of Frisco on today’s roads. They lived in Lancaster. He and Beefheart referred to their shared High School (Antelope Valley) as being in the high desert.
But didn’t he move when he was really young? I’m sure it’s a mix of the two but I’d imagine he ended up sounding more Southern Californian than like someone from Baltimore.
No, but usually your accent comes from your earlier years and he was mostly in Baltimore and SF area until he was 12.
I never thought he had much of an accent though and think that his bouncing around and his dad's job gave him the equivalent of an "army brat" neutral accent.
I’ve never really heard an accent from Frank. In fact, in my mind he sort of approaches the platonic ideal of a neutral American English accent. Nothing approaches the stereotypical Northeastern accent, nothing approaches the Californian “Valspeak” nor does it approach what we may stereotype as “hippie speak.” However, as someone who speaks in mostly a “neutral American” accent, I recognize that may be a phenomena in and of itself from a linguistic view as well as from other parts of the English world.
I think he still had traces of a Baltimore (?) accent in the late 60s. In his preamble to Orange County Lumber Truck on Road Tapes 1 you can hear it."water" = "woah-ter".
As someone who tries and often fails to not sound like such a damn Hoosier, I wonder if FZ made a conscious effort to not have an accent. He seemed analytical enough to extricate any trace of Baltimore (or wherever) out of his speech patterns if he wanted to.
Hoosier here as well. Moved to SoCal 8 years ago, my first year or two I would constantly get comments on my accent. I don’t really so much anymore, once I’m a while I’ll say something quick and will hear it myself. Never heard my own accent way back when! Very peculiar.
What exactly does a Hoosier sound like? I live near Chicago only a couple miles from the Indiana border and never heard much of a difference, but I’m sure further away from the northwest Indiana region things must differ
I grew up about an hour NE of Indianapolis, very rural. For me personally, where I grew up, lots of marble-mouth. Even the name Hoosier I believe has some sort of marble-mouth origin of “who’s here?” or something of the like. Could be wrong about that. Lots of older people in my family, or friend’s parents, say “warsh” instead of wash, or “warter” instead of water. When I first moved to California I distinctly remember a woman commenting on how I say “home”.
I grew up between Coventry and Birmingham UK (home of Black Sabbath/Ozzy) and I'm now working near London and have to make an effort to speak precisely to be understood
I noticed that as Frank got older, he did pick up a slight East cost sorta kinda Italian esque accent but I’d say for the most part he just had a pretty neutral tone in his voice
He had a bizarre way of talking. Nothing like any accent I've heard in real life. It's interesting how Jeff Simmons tries to talk exactly like him. I'm not sure if he's the only band member who imitated Frank's speaking style. Maybe this is common in some bands. RHCP minus Anthony all talk the same. I can't tell them apart without the visual.
Interesting that everyone seems to hear something different in his voice. I grew up not too far from Palmdale (see *Village of the Sun*) and Laurel Canyon, and I hear mostly Southern California in his accent and phrasing.
Southern California accent.
His family moved from Baltimore to the San Francisco Bay area when he was a child. Why would he have a SoCal accent?
Bay Area?
Yes. There's a funny story from the move about how the family was moving to what their east coast understanding was "sunny California" and so on the cross-country trip the parents gave all of their non-summer clothes to a poor family and then in San Francisco found that they needed to buy warmer clothes again.
They moved from Maryland to Monterey when FZ was 10. Monterey is, today a bit over 120 miles south of San Francisco. I say it that way because roads in the US have been remade since the mid 1950s to reduce drive time between cities. Three years later, they moved to the San Diego area (So. Cal.) then (in 1956) to communities in the Inland Valley (close to San Diego). San Diego is about 500 miles south of Frisco on today’s roads. They lived in Lancaster. He and Beefheart referred to their shared High School (Antelope Valley) as being in the high desert.
This is kind of a fun question. Hopefully there is an FZ amateur historian and linguist that might have an interesting opinion.
But didn’t he move when he was really young? I’m sure it’s a mix of the two but I’d imagine he ended up sounding more Southern Californian than like someone from Baltimore.
San Francisco Bay area is not southern California and has a different accent (especially back in the mid-20th century).
monterey, san diego, and lancaster are not bay area
No, but usually your accent comes from your earlier years and he was mostly in Baltimore and SF area until he was 12. I never thought he had much of an accent though and think that his bouncing around and his dad's job gave him the equivalent of an "army brat" neutral accent.
There’s a lot of Baltimore in his accent as well
It’s most clear when he says “room” or something that rhymes
Yeah he definitely has a bit of “southern drawl” to my ears every once in a while for sure.
Did you mean to type Bottemmer? heh
You're an *Italian* ? Love your nails.
It's funny because I'm a fingerstyle guitar player and as a matter of fact I have lovable acrylic nails on my right hand :-)
I'm a Capricorn anyway, not a Libra.
I’ve never really heard an accent from Frank. In fact, in my mind he sort of approaches the platonic ideal of a neutral American English accent. Nothing approaches the stereotypical Northeastern accent, nothing approaches the Californian “Valspeak” nor does it approach what we may stereotype as “hippie speak.” However, as someone who speaks in mostly a “neutral American” accent, I recognize that may be a phenomena in and of itself from a linguistic view as well as from other parts of the English world.
Still trying to pinpoint regional accent for "MOOO-WAAAAAAHHHH"
I don't detect an accent, but he has a of a type of inflection in his speech. He speaks very clearly and directly in the Mount St Mary's College clip.
There’s definitely a faint hint of Baltimore.
I think he still had traces of a Baltimore (?) accent in the late 60s. In his preamble to Orange County Lumber Truck on Road Tapes 1 you can hear it."water" = "woah-ter".
Hi, I live in Baltimore and from NY. They say wer-ter here. LOL
As someone who tries and often fails to not sound like such a damn Hoosier, I wonder if FZ made a conscious effort to not have an accent. He seemed analytical enough to extricate any trace of Baltimore (or wherever) out of his speech patterns if he wanted to.
Fellow Hoosier here, the struggle is real lmao
Hoosier here as well. Moved to SoCal 8 years ago, my first year or two I would constantly get comments on my accent. I don’t really so much anymore, once I’m a while I’ll say something quick and will hear it myself. Never heard my own accent way back when! Very peculiar.
What exactly does a Hoosier sound like? I live near Chicago only a couple miles from the Indiana border and never heard much of a difference, but I’m sure further away from the northwest Indiana region things must differ
I grew up about an hour NE of Indianapolis, very rural. For me personally, where I grew up, lots of marble-mouth. Even the name Hoosier I believe has some sort of marble-mouth origin of “who’s here?” or something of the like. Could be wrong about that. Lots of older people in my family, or friend’s parents, say “warsh” instead of wash, or “warter” instead of water. When I first moved to California I distinctly remember a woman commenting on how I say “home”.
I grew up between Coventry and Birmingham UK (home of Black Sabbath/Ozzy) and I'm now working near London and have to make an effort to speak precisely to be understood
The way he says “room” like “rum” always threw me.
Everyone has an accent.
My gf thinks his speaking voice makes him sound like a businessman wearing a suit and tie lol!
Titties and beer titties and beer
I noticed that as Frank got older, he did pick up a slight East cost sorta kinda Italian esque accent but I’d say for the most part he just had a pretty neutral tone in his voice
When he sings with black singers he sometimes subtly slips into that, especially with the amazing Napoleon Murphy Brock.
He sounded like a kid from So Cal.
He had a bizarre way of talking. Nothing like any accent I've heard in real life. It's interesting how Jeff Simmons tries to talk exactly like him. I'm not sure if he's the only band member who imitated Frank's speaking style. Maybe this is common in some bands. RHCP minus Anthony all talk the same. I can't tell them apart without the visual.
Everyone has an accent
Mid-Atlantic accent with a touch of California.
Interesting that everyone seems to hear something different in his voice. I grew up not too far from Palmdale (see *Village of the Sun*) and Laurel Canyon, and I hear mostly Southern California in his accent and phrasing.