Binky Griptite

Binky Griptite
Griptite with the Dap-Kings in 2012.
Background information
Birth name	Franklin Stribling
Born	Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Origin	New York City
Genres	Soul funk retro-soul R&B
Occupations	Musician producer DJ
Instrument	Guitar
Years active	1996–present
Labels	Daptone Records
Presenting career
Show	The Boogie Down
Station	WFUV
Time slot	Saturday, 8-11 pm
Website	wfuv.org/content/boogie-down

Franklin Stribling,[1] professionally known as Binky Griptite, is an American guitarist, record producer, and radio DJ. He is best known as a founding member and guitarist of Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Soul Providers, and Antibalas, among other Daptone Records-related projects. From 2017 to 2021, he hosted the weekly radio program The Boogie Down on WFUV.

Childhood

Griptite was born (1966) and raised in Milwaukee, the youngest of 7 children. He lived in Minneapolis before moving to New York City in 1996.[2]

Career

Following a break in his music career he connected with musician Gabe Roth, who would co-found Daptone Records, and was recruited to play in Roth's Desco Records house band, Soul Providers. Some of the first records he played on were those of Lee Fields.[3] He adopted the stage name Binky Griptite in 1999.[4]

In late 1998, he joined the first incarnation of the Brooklyn afrobeat ensemble Antibalas with then-roommate Martín Perna as a bassist, touring and recording with them in their early years.[5] Following the dissolution of Desco and the Soul Providers in 1999–2000, he formed The Dap-Kings with other former members as a band for Sharon Jones. They recorded their debut album Dap Dippin' with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings in 2001. In total, the group released eight studio albums, concluding with 2017's Soul of a Woman. Their 2014 album Give the People What They Want was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album.[6] Following a twenty-year tenure, Griptite departed from The Dap-Kings in September 2018.[7]

In addition to playing with the Dap-Kings, Binky has played on records for artists such as Janet Jackson and Amy Winehouse, with whom he toured extensively in 2007. As a producer, he has worked with artists such as The Impressions.[3] He also leads the R&B band The Mellomatics[4] and The Binky Griptite Orchestra.[2]

In July 2017, Griptite began hosting The Boogie Down on WFUV. The all-vinyl radio show airs weekly on Saturday nights and highlights vintage soul and R&B tracks.[8]

In July 2021, WFUV announced that Griptite and the station have amicably agreed to end the program, saying that Griptite hopes to revive the program at some future point, on a station or stations to be determined.[9]

Discography

Selected album discography. Adapted from Discogs.[10]

• Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – Dap Dippin' with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings (2002)
• Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – Naturally (2005)
• Amy Winehouse – Back to Black (2006); 6 tracks, including "Back to Black" and "Rehab"
• Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – 100 Days, 100 Nights (2007)
• Mark Ronson – Version (2007); 2 tracks including "Valerie"
• Daniel Merriweather – Love & War (2009)
• Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – I Learned the Hard Way (2010)
• Amy Winehouse – Lioness: Hidden Treasures (2011); 2 tracks
• Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – Give the People What They Want (2014)
• Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – It's a Holiday Soul Party (2015)
• Saun & Starr – Look Closer (2015)
• Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – Soul of a Woman (2017)
• Deva Mahal – Run Deep (2018); 2 tracks
• Nicole Atkins – Italian Ice (2020)
• Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Rendition Was In) (2020)

References

1. "Franklin Stribling a/k/a Binky Griptite – Defend Music". Retrieved 2021-03-23.
2. Lipsky, Jessica (15 March 2018). "Binky Griptite". Dust and Grooves. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
3. "Binky Griptite". The Dap-Kings. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
4. "Speaker of the House: Binky Griptite Interview". 2010-03-22. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
5. "Bio". Antibalas. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
6. "Binky Griptite". GRAMMY.com. 2020-11-23. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
7. "Guitarist Binky Griptite Announces Departure From The Dap-Kings After 20 Years". L4LM. 2018-07-28. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
8. BWW News Desk. "WFuV Introduces THE BOOGIE DOWN with Binky Griptite". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
9. WFUV Staff. "THE BOOGIE DOWN 2017-2021". Retrieved 2021-10-09.
10. "Binky Griptite". Discogs. Retrieved 2021-03-23.

External links

• Binky Griptite on WFUV Archived 2021-03-01 at the Wayback Machine