Frank Kemper

Frank began playing music at a very early age, encouraged by his grandfather, who played both the guitar and harmonica. Frank recently related a story about how he came to love performing:

"When I was four years-old, I started playing a harmonica that grandad gave me. I remember going to a Halloween fall festival where two older boys knew that I played the harmonica and offered me fifty cents to play a tune. I played two songs for them, they paid me fifty cents, and that started my music career. The guys thought that it was just great that a four year-old could play a harmonica! They clapped for me and patted me on the back - I was hooked from that moment."

A few years later Frank started playing his grandfather's guitar and even taught himself to play an old upright piano that his parents owned. Singing harmony also came natural to him, and he frequently would sing with his sister Debby, often singing with her in church.

When he started school, Frank stayed busy, playing in talent shows and for classmates. When he was in the fifth grade, he began playing the trumpet with the school band. In the seventh and eighth grades he sang at choral workshops at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky. In the tenth grade he represented the State of Kentucky in the national FFA Chorus in Kansas City, Missouri. Then, when he was fifteen years-old, he joined a country band, playing the guitar and harmonica and singing lead and harmony vocals. After high school, Frank went to Kentucky State University and majored in music.

In 1977 Frank began playing bluegrass music with Scotty Campbell and soon afterwards, John Widener.   When he heard John's baritone vocal join the lead and tenor he was forever hooked on Bluegrass.  A short time later Mike Sudduth began playing with Frank, Scotty and John, and the group Cottonwood was born.  One of the group's highlights was performing at the 1987 World Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee.

In 1995 Frank joined the group "Kentucky Blue".  The group traveled extensively and recorded two CD's while Frank was a member.

Frank is married and has two beautiful daughters, Tricia and Amber, and a step-daughter, Jessica.  His wife, Donna, and his daughters also share his love of Bluegrass music.  He has worked with the Legislative Research Commission (LRC) for 22 years and is currently the Publications Officer.  He enjoys hunting and fishing in his free time.

Frank played guitar and sang lead and harmony vocals for the band until late 2003 when he decided to take some time off to fully recover from his recent heart surgery.