Site Search:

Frank Muller - Older Pic (b&w)

Want Scott to narrate this blog to you?
Right click here to download this Brickcast.

 

My plans were to post a post-Audie Awards blog today, to share some memories, photos and video of the gala held here in Los Angeles this past weekend, but sadly, life has intervened.

 

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.


19 Responses to “Frank Muller, Gone Too Soon (May 5, 1951 - June 4, 2008)

An Audiobook Legend Passes Away”


  1. wendy bird Says:

    frank was the first audiobook narrator to make me pick up the library book jacket for the cassettes and see who THAT was. his talent was extraordinary, and his silence has affected this house, and the hearts in it, deeply. he set his bar among the heavens he spoke of so sublimely of in the Left Behind series.


  2. The Voiceover Boblog Says:

    Audiobook legend Frank Muller has died…

    Frank Muller died on Wednesday, June 4, 2008. He was just 57. Scott Brick has posted a tribute to Frank Muller on his blog. Included in his post are links to a couple of very interesting audio pieces.

    Bookmark to:

    Hide Sites

    ……


  3. Karen Commins Says:

    Scott, thank you so much for posting the sorrowful news about Frank and your heartfelt tribute.

    In 1996, before I decided to pursue voice-over and audiobook narration work, I found Frank’s site and sent him an e-mail with some questions. He was very generous with his answers. I shared his reply with his wife in 2001 after his accident, and I still have his message.

    Frank inspired me not only with his brilliant characterizations and narration, but with his kindness to a newcomer to the industry. I think of his answer as I respond to the many inquiries I receive. I can only hope that my words will be as meaningful and encouraging to someone else as Frank’s were and are to me.

    I had always hoped that Frank would be able to recover for a long, joyful life with his family and bring joy to others in lending his voice once again to an audiobook. I am saddened to learn that he has left this world. He will be missed.

    Karen Commins
    http://www.KarenVoices.com
    http://www.KarenBlogs.com


  4. John Woods Says:

    Scott,

    Thanks very much for sharing this news with the people on your list. Frank’s funeral will be June 7 according to his Web site and people can and are encouraged to send e-mails to celebratefrank@yahoo.com with their thoughts for the family. You’re a good guy, Scott and thanks for passing this sad news on. And to all who ride motorcycles, please wear a helmet, and be careful.

    John Woods


  5. Frank Muller RIP « Jeffrey Kafer Voice blog Says:

    [...] Brick has a very moving account of Mr. Muller here. Posted in voice over. Tags: Frank [...]


  6. Stephanie Ciccarelli Says:

    Hi Scott,

    This is the first time I have read your blog and I wanted to say thank you for the lovely tribute you’ve paid here to Frank Muller.

    I am also saddened by his passing as I wish I could have known him. Take care of those memories :)

    Best wishes,

    Stephanie
    Co-founder of Voices.com


  7. James Lorenz Says:

    Thank-you Scott for bringing to attention the passing of someone who, while I may not have known him, should be honored for his achievements in advancing the art form.
    RIP Frank…and thank-you.
    James


  8. Ron Says:

    I’ve been an avid listener of audiobooks for years. There were so many great books butchered by their readers. More then than now. I learned to look for Frank Muller’s name. If I saw it, I knew the book was in good hands. He saw his craft as the art it was, and showed us in turn the art it could BE. I was crushed so long ago when I learned of his accident, and I am heartbroken tonight to know of his death. Frank Muller, sir, I tip my hat to you one final time. You will be missed.


  9. Dan M Says:

    Frank was a prince among men and an absolute treasure. I, for one, will miss him terribly.


  10. Emily Says:

    I first enjoyed Frank Muller as the voice of Roland in Stephen King’s “Dark Tower” series. Over the years, I have listened to his skilled narration many times. When I learned of Frank’s accident in 2001, I was saddened beyond measure, as I felt he was a friend whose life would never be the same. I have yet to find another narrator with the same magic that he conveyed in telling each story. At present, I am listening to “The Vampire Chronicles” and know I will treasure this listening experience. Farewell to you Frank/Roland/Lestat. Your voice will be sadly missed.


  11. Jayne Roceo Says:

    Aloha,, Regarding hide mp3 player which I read on Thursday. I think we might disagree on this, but I still appreciate your comment on Frank Muller, Gone Too Soon (May 5, 1951 - June 4, 2008)An Audiobook Legend Passes Away.


  12. Daniel Says:

    I read similar article also named Frank Muller, Gone Too Soon (May 5, 1951 - June 4, 2008)An Audiobook Legend Passes Away, and it was completely different. Personally, I agree with you more, because this article makes a little bit more sense for me


  13. Mark S. Says:

    Scott, Thank you for your moving tribute to Frank Muller. For the longest time he was the ONLY audio-book narrator who actually made listening to an audio recording of a book MORE enjoyable than reading. Having been a long time fan of audio books and one of the first ever subscribers to audible.com, I quickly learned that most narrators simply couldn’t do the books that they were reading justice. Frank was the one consistent exception to that rule until you came along. So I went from always looking for books narrated by Frank to books narrated by either you or Frank. Now I’m back down to looking for books by only one narrator. Don’t get me wrong, I give other narrators a try when I have to, but when it comes to books like Donaldson’s Covenant series, I always breathe a heavy sigh of relief when I hear you will be doing the narration, much the same as I used to react to Frank being the narrator of a beloved book/author/series. Thank you for all you do and for your recognition of Frank, truly one of the pioneers of the audio book industry.

    Sincerely,
    Mark S.
    Atlanta, GA


  14. Angella Says:

    I can’t believe I’m just now hearing about this. I first learned of Frank’s accident on King’s afterword on DT3. Frank was a tremendous talent and will be deeply missed by devoted audiobook listeners. He was truly the voice of the Dark Tower. Blessings and prayers to Frank’s family.

    ~A


  15. Anita Says:

    I have my favorite readers and Frank Muller was one of my favorites. I was so sorry to hear he had died.
    All of you wonderful readers bring audio books to life. You are also one of the greats.
    Thank you,
    Anita


  16. Anita Says:

    I just read the remarks by Mark S. He hit the nail on the head. I will listen books sometimes because of the narrator,I find they usually only read the good ones. I keep a list of the good and the bad, and have returned books I would have liked but the narrator ruins the books with bad reading. So again I don’t know how you do it, but you are a great narrator.
    Anita


  17. louise Says:

    Great narrator, great loss.


  18. MADELENE Says:

    I WAS VERY SORRY TO HEAR OF FRANK MULLERS PASSING, I FELT THE PAIN SO DEEP BECAUSE I HAD JUST FINSHED LISTENING TO ALL OVER BUT THE SHOUTING AND HIS VOICE JUST PULLED ME IN. I WILL LISTEN TO HIM AGAIN AND AGAIN BUT WILL ALWAYS FEEL THE PAIN OF HIS DEATH. REST IN PEACE FRANK WE WILL MISS YOU.


  19. Ted Says:

    I just finished listening to Dark Tower 6 and decided to find out why Frank didn’t do 5 and 6. This is sad. Dang. Now I’m all weepy.



Leave a Reply






adobe photoshop tutorials Archicad oem software cds;microsoft window 2000 professional oem software

Adobe Illustrator Cs

cheap software downloadsOem full version game oem full version game download 97. Autocad 2006 adobe standard encodingoem office 2000 software Adobe Acrobat Torrent upgrade window 2000 to xp;
dvd to pocket pc 1.2.4 Adobe Photoshop Express inkjet definition oem softwarestudent discount adobe cs 3d Studio Max Download financial planning software australiaBuy cheap PhotoShop CS 2; Adobe Photoshop Elements iCorrect EditLab Pro 4.52"software oem cd line business" 8 Download Flash Macromedia adobe cs2 photo shop total trainingmicrosoft office 2003 oem; Autocad Download locate software oem files,widows oem software Adobe Indesign Cs3 window 2000 upgrade download;quark xpress 6 crack Acdsee Download oem software bundlesoftware oem italiano Autocad Light adobe photo shop elementoem software cds; Academic Software Discount microsoft window 2000 professional oem softwarecheap software downloads Adobe Acrobat Cheap "oem Microsoft Office"adobe standard encoding Adobe Acrobat oem office 2000 softwareupgrade window 2000 to xp; Acrobat 7 dvd to pocket pc 1.2.4
inkjet definition oem software
Autocad Software The Logo Creator MEGA pak 3.6finance software 2007 Microsoft Software Used Buy cheap PhotoShop CS 2;how to activate reget deluxe Adobe Acrobat Pro "software oem cd line business"adobe cs2 photo shop total training Adobe Acrobat Pro 8 microsoft office 2003 oem;locate software oem files, Adobe Photoshop Illustrator widows oem softwarewindow 2000 upgrade download; Acrobat Adobe Reader quark xpress 6 crackoem software bundle Adobe Illustrator 10 Download software oem italianoadobe photo shop element Adobe Acrobat 8 Pro oem software cds;microsoft window 2000 professional oem software Acdsee cheap software downloads"oem Microsoft Office" Adobe Illustrator Downloads adobe standard encodingoem office 2000 software Art Software upgrade window 2000 to xp;dvd to pocket pc 1.2.4
Adobe Photoshop Cs 8.0 Download inkjet definition oem softwarestudent discount adobe cs Adobe Creative Suite 3 financial planning software australiaBuy cheap PhotoShop CS 2; Autocad Software Discount Hard Copy iCorrect EditLab Pro 4.52

"software oem cd line business"

Adobe Photoshop Download adobe cs2 photo shop total trainingMcafee all in 1 2006! Adobe Acrobat 8 Download locate software oem files,

widows oem software

Acdsee Pro window 2000 upgrade download;quark xpress 4.1 Adobe Acrobat Reader 5 oem software bundlesoftware oem italiano Adobe Illustrator Photoshop adobe photo shop elementoem software buys Autocad 2008 microsoft window 2000 professional oem softwarecheap software Archicad 11 "oem Microsoft Office"adobe standard encoding Autocad 2005 oem office 2000 softwareupgrade window 2000 to xp; Adobe Indesign Cs Time Limited dvd to pocket pc 1.2.4inkjet definition oem software Alien Skin Eye Candy The Logo Creator MEGA pak 3.6financial planning software australia Adobe Photoshop Elements For Mac Buy cheap PhotoShop CS 2;iCorrect EditLab Pro 4.52 Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 "software oem cd line business"adobe cs2 photo shop total training Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 For Mac microsoft office 2003 oem;locate software oem files, Adobe Indesign Cs2 Barcode Mac widows oem softwarewindow 2000 professional upgrade Anti Virus Software quark xpress 6 crackoem software bundle Adobe Acrobat Reader Download software oem italianoadobe photo shop element Ahead Nero 7 oem software cds;microsoft window 2000 professional oem software Adobe Photoshop Used Cheap cheap software downloads"oem Microsoft Office" Autocad Inventor adobe standard encodingoem office 2000 software Asobe Photoshop Elements 3 upgrade window 2000 to xp;dvd to pocket pc 1.2.4 Cheap Software Price inkjet definition oem software
The Logo Creator MEGA pak 3.6 Alien Skin Eye Candy 5 Bundle financial planning software australiaBuy cheap After Effects 5.5 Production Bundle Adobe Acrobat 8 iCorrect EditLab Pro 4.52"software oem cd line business" Adobe Illustrator Cs2 adobe cs2 photo shop total trainingmicrosoft office 2003 oem; Acdsee 10
locate software oem files,
uk software oem frontpage Adobe Photoshop Cs3 window 2000 upgrade download;quark xpress 6 crack Autocad 2004 oem software bundlesoftware oem italiano Adobe Indesign Cs2 adobe photo shop elementoem software cds; Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional microsoft window 2000 professional oem softwarecheap software downloads Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 Quick Notes "oem Microsoft Office"adobe standard encoding Adobe Acrobat Reader oem office 2000 softwareupgrade window 2000 to xp; Adobe Acrobat Rider Download dvd to pocket pc 1.2.4inkjet definition oem software Acrobat Download The Logo Creator MEGA pak 3.6financial planning software australia 3ds Max Buy cheap PhotoShop CS 2;iCorrect EditLab Pro 4.52 Adobe Flash 9 "software oem cd line business"adobe cs2 photo shop total training

Adobe Photoshop Cs

microsoft office 2003 oem;itp support agreements oem software time Adobe Indesign widows oem softwarewindow 2000 professional upgrade Adobe Photoshop Cs2 quark xpress 6 crackoem software bundle Autocad 2002 software oem italianoadobe photo shop element Adobe Photoshop Elements 4 oem software cds;microsoft window 2000 professional oem software Adobe Acrobat 7.0 Standard cheap software downloads"oem Microsoft Office" Adobe Photoshop Elements 5 adobe standard encodingoem office 2000 software Buy Cs4 upgrade window 2000 to xp;dvd to pocket pc 1.2.4 Acehtml inkjet definition oem softwareThe Logo Creator MEGA pak 3.6 Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 Mac Price financial planning software australiaBuy cheap PhotoShop CS 2;

Adobe Acrobat Reader 8

iCorrect EditLab Pro 4.52software discount oem Autocad 2000 adobe cs2 photo shop total trainingmicrosoft office 2003 oem; Adobe Acrobat 7 locate software oem files,widows oem software Adobe Flash window 2000 upgrade download;quark xpress 6 crack Adobe Acrobat 8 Standard oem software bundlesoftware oem italiano Adobe Acrobat Professional 8 adobe photo shop elementoem software cds; Adobe Acrobat 6 microsoft window 2000 professional oem softwarecheap software Autocad 2007 Download "oem Microsoft Office"Adobe Standard Adobe Acrobat Professional oem office 2000 softwareupgrade window 2000 to xp; Ahead Software dvd to pocket pc 1.2.4inkjet definition oem software Adobe Acrobat 8.0 Professional The Logo Creator MEGA pak 3.6financial planning software australia Adobe Acrobat Software Buy cheap PhotoShop CS 2;iCorrect EditLab Pro 4.52 Autocad 2007 "software oem cd line business"adobe cs2 photo shop total training Anti Virus Software Buy microsoft office 2003 oem;locate software oem files, Adobe Creative Suite Premium widows oem softwarewindow 2000 upgrade download; Adobe Acrobat Writer quark xpress 6 crackoem software bundle Archicad 9 software oem italianoadobe photo shop element Architectural Software oem software cds;

microsoft window 2000 professional oem software

Adobe Premiere cheap software downloadsOem full version game oem full version game download 97. Acrobat Sale adobe standard encodingoem office 2000 software Adobe Flash Download upgrade window 2000 to xp;dvd to pocket pc 1.2.4 Adobe Acrobat 8.0 Standard inkjet definition oem softwareThe Logo Creator MEGA pak 3.6 Alien Skin financial planning software australiaBuy cheap PhotoShop CS 2; Autocad 2009 iCorrect EditLab Pro 4.52"software oem cd line business" Autocad 2000 Navodila adobe cs2 photo shop total trainingmicrosoft office 2003 oem; Adobe Acrobat 7 Download locate software oem files,widows oem software Autocad Lt window 2000 upgrade download;quark xpress 6 crack Adobe Macromedia oem software bundlesoftware oem italiano Autocad Navodila adobe photo shop elementoem software cds; Achieve Software Discount microsoft window 2000 professional oem softwarecheap software downloads Autocad Reader "oem Microsoft Office"adobe standard encoding Adobe Acrobat 9 oem office 2000 softwareupgrade window 2000 to xp; Acoustica dvd to pocket pc 1.2.4import oem software cds Adobe Acrobat 7 Standard The Logo Creator MEGA pak 3.6financial planning software australia Academic Discount Software Buy cheap PhotoShop CS 2;how to activate reget deluxe Adobe Illustrator Cs Download "software oem cd line business"adobe cs2 photo shop total training Autocad microsoft office 2003 oem;locate software oem files, Adobe Acrobat Reader 7 widows oem softwarewindow 2000 professional upgrade Adobe Software quark xpress 6 crackoem software bundle Acoustica Burner software oem italianoadobe photo shop element Adobe Photoshop Elements Download oem software cds;microsoft window 2000 professional oem software Ahead Nero 7 Download cheap software downloads"oem Microsoft Office" Autocad Autodesk adobe standard encodingoem office 2000 software Archicad Download upgrade window 2000 to xp;dvd to pocket pc 1.2.4 Adobe Photoshop Cheap inkjet definition oem softwareThe Logo Creator MEGA pak 3.6 Adobe Illustrator financial planning software australiaBuy cheap PhotoShop CS 2; Ahead Nero Gratis iCorrect EditLab Pro 4.52

"software oem cd line business"

Adobe Illustrator Convertor adobe cs2 photo shop total trainingMcafee all in 1 2006! Ahead Software Nero locate software oem files,widows oem software Autodesk

window 2000 upgrade download;

quark xpress 5 download Adobe Acrobat Download oem software bundlesoftware oem italiano 2003 Microsoft Excel Software adobe photo shop elementoem software cds; Adobe Indesign Cs3 Download microsoft window 2000 professional oem softwarecheap software downloads Adobe Photoshop Cs3 Limewire "oem Microsoft Office"adobe standard encoding Adobe Acrobat Rider oem office 2000 softwareupgrade window 2000 to xp; Ahead Nero dvd to pocket pc 1.2.4import oem software cds
Adobe Illustrator Cs2 Download
The Logo Creator MEGA pak 3.6finance software Adobe Acrobat Pdf Buy cheap PhotoShop CS 2;iCorrect EditLab Pro 4.52
Adobe Illustrator Cs3 Wow
"software oem cd line business"adobe any cs2 from photo photo shop shop upgrade version Purchase Cheap Software microsoft office 2003 oem;locate software oem files, Adobe Premiere 6.5 widows oem softwarewindow 2000 upgrade download; Address Book Software quark xpress 6 crackoem software bundle Adobe Photoshop Elements 2 software oem italianoadobe photo shop element Adobe Acrobat 7.0 Professional oem software cds;microsoft window 2000 professional oem software 3d Studio Max cheap software downloads"oem Microsoft Office" Adobe Illustrator Cs3 adobe standard encodingoem office 2000 software Adobe Acrobat 6.0 Download upgrade window 2000 to xp;dvd to pocket pc 1.2.4 Adobe Acrobat Reader 6 inkjet definition oem softwareThe Logo Creator MEGA pak 3.6 Adobe Acrobat Standard financial planning software australiaBuy cheap PhotoShop CS 2; Adobe Acrobat 6.0 Standard iCorrect EditLab Pro 4.52"software oem cd line business" Autocad Lite adobe cs2 photo shop total training
microsoft office 2003 oem;
Autocad Lt Software locate software oem files,symantec oem software Adobe Photoshop window 2000 upgrade download;quark xpress 6 crack Adobe Cs3 Flash Assignments oem software bundlesoftware oem italiano Adobe Illustrator C2 adobe photo shop element