Category: book Nook
http://www.scottbrickpresents.com/wordpress/2008/06/05/frank-muller-gone-too-soon-may-5-1951-june-4-2008an-audiobook-legend-passes-away/
Written by Scott Brick:
Frank Muller passed away yesterday. I received the call last night and
> spent a very sad evening, wishing I had had the chance to know him. For those of you unaware of Frank's work, he was a legendary audiobook
> narrator, the first real giant of the industry, whose talents brought the medium new attention and the respect it deserved. This was back in the days
> when the idea of walking into your local bookstore and actually finding anything you were looking for on cassette was a virtual impossibility, when most people assumed audiobooks were done for the blind, not the general public. Frank lent his voice to numerous literary giants and helped convey
> their words to an entirely new audience, and for that, he should always be remembered, respected and revered. Sadly, Frank suffered a debilitating motorcycle accident in 2001, which left him unable to work further in the industry that so embraced him. Sadder
> for
> me personally, I never had the chance to meet Frank until after his
> accident. It was a quick meeting, I was one of many people crowding around
> him at the 2003 Audie Awards in Los Angeles, when he made his first public
> appearance after his accident and was on hand to receive an award he won
> that night. It was a lovely moment, and I was honored to be present, but
> it
> was nearly impossible for me to convey to him how much I appreciated his
> work in so little time.
>
>
>
>
> In any industry, any discipline, there is an inherent respect and
> admiration
> that must be present for the generation that came before, for the
> trailblazers who helped lead the way and establish opportunities for those
> who come later. Any African-American baseball player should have a
> deep-seated gratitude toward Jackie Robinson for breaking the color
> barrier,
> any modern-day actor should thank God for Charlie Chaplin having run the
> gauntlet of international celebrity years ago, and if any modern-day
> NASCAR
> driver has no respect for Richard Petty, he should be kicked out of the
> sport. Similarly, anyone who makes a living recording audiobooks as I do
> should kneel down and thank God for Frank Muller. I know I do. I just wish
> I
> could have conveyed that to Frank in person.
>
>
>
>
> Another person we should give thanks to is Stephen King. Stephen wrote
> lovingly about Frank and his work in Dark Tower V: Wolves of Calla, the
> first novel in the series he wrote after Frank's horrible accident. He
> dedicated the novel to him and wrote a moving description of their
> friendship in the Afterword. He also, with fellow authors John Grisham,
> Peter Straub and Pat Conroy, held a reading of their work in order to
> benefit Frank's recovery in 2002. He helped create a charitable
> foundation,
> WaveDancer, to help Frank's family through the long and arduous process.
> Damn decent of him, a truly extraordinary thing to do.
>
>
>
>
> For those of you, like me, mourning the loss of such an extraordinary
> talent
> and wishing you could hear him talk about the business he loved so much, I
> encourage you to check out this rare gem: in 1999, Frank recorded John
> Grisham's THE TESTAMENT, and as a bonus feature, voiced a six-minute
> discussion of the process that went into its creation. He talks about
> everything from the research he did, to the joys of voicing each character
> in the story, to the very state of the industry as he saw it late in the
> 20th century. It's altogether too brief, only six minutes long, but it's a
> gift he gave us, a rare insight into the mind of someone so amazingly
> talented. Its official title is FRANK MULLER ON READING THE TESTAMENT, and
> you can find it at Audible.com by doing a keyword search under "Frank
> Muller."
>
> If you have problems downloading it, you can click the listen icon and
> hear
> it in its entirety. You can also hear Stephen King's Wavedancer benefit on
> Audible by going to their site and plugging in the keyword "Wavedancer." I
> hope you'll give them both a listen.
>
>
>
>
> If you knew Frank or knew his work and are moved to make any kind of
> charitable contribution, I hope you'll visit his website and do so. You
> can
> find it at
www.frankmullerhome.com.
>
>
>
>
> I wish there were more to say, but given our loss of so great a voice,
> silence seems more appropriate.
Good article Carla. Scott posted this to a book discussion I am on that he is also on, but I didn't take the time to read it then. I didn't listen to anything read by this narrator, but like Scott, I appreciate good narrators. I also think it was "damn decent" of Steven King to help raise money for Frank's family after the accident.
I heard about the accident, and thought I had heard someone say that he had died, but I wasn't sure.
It is very cool to read a tribue written by a narrator whose work I love about another narrator whose book I love. Go figure.
Kate
Frank Muller was one of the best. I wonder what eventually killed him? Was it a stroke? A series of strokes? I seem to recall hearing something to that effect. He died about three weeks before my 28th birthday.
Damn. I had NO idea about this. That'sa really sad death for me, as he was always my favorite narrator.
He was certainly one of mine.
Yes , he was totally awesome, I've read several books that he narrorated, as Stephen King is my favorite author.
He also narrated several Jack London novels as I understand it, including Call of the WIld.
Let's not forget The Green Mile either, another favorite of mine brought superbly to life by Mr. Muller.
Damn! I had no idea he was dead! I love Frank Muller's work. His narration of some of the Dark Tower books is brilliant. *sigh*
He also narrated a couple of the "left behind" series and was one of the more brilliant audio book narrators. The guy could do any accent and give a character his or her own special voice with barely a flaw.
Oh I couldn't agree more. I could even see him doing a fine job on Lord of the Rings, and I normally scoff at the idea of an American narrating those books. Looking back I scoff rather intensely at that NPR Playhouse dramatization of said series, which used predominantly American actors and actresses and gave nearly all ELves these squeaky, annoying fairy voices that don't fit at all. But I think Frank Muller could have done those books justice since not only was he superb at accents but he just had that calm, slightly husky voice that lends itself well to storytelling. I'd have loved it if he'd given David Eddings' Belgariad a go. Granted I've come to like the guy who narrated the ones on Audible but I stil think Frank Muller could have done well by those books.
I remember hearing about the accident and feeling sad beyond words. He left behind a loving wife and two children and that is sad by itself. But indeed, those of us who enjoyed his voice will miss him terribly for years to come. I still have a copy of Silence Of The Lambs which he narrated on tapes and will never let go of it. He did a superb job with every single book!
For those of you who love Stephen King, look for the story The Night Flyer from Nightmares and Dreamscapes, which he read with his usual amazing talent. I promise you, it is a wonderful treat!
Yeah. ANd the really sad part is even had he survived his injjuries were so severe despite his having been wearing a helmet that his career as a narrator would probably have been over anyway. I remember reading an afterward in Stephen King's WOlves of the Calla that talked about that.
he did an amazing reading of All Quiet on the Western Front. definitely my favourite.
He was definitely one of the best.