S7E30 - Still Toking with Franklin Vanderbilt (Musician)

Episode Notes

S7E35 - Join us as we welcome actor, musician, singer-songwriter, drummer, guitarist and producer Franklin Vanderbilt to the stage. He'll be in the house telling tales from his days on the ROTC Drum & Bugle corps. to his 15 years performing with Lenny Kravitz and much more Franklin Vanderbilt is an American actor, musician, singer-songwriter, drummer, guitarist and producer whose career has taken him from Chicago to stages, studios, film and television productions around the world. Born and raised on the West Side of Chicago, Illinois, Vanderbilt discovered music at an early age. He began playing drums at five years old, developing a natural connection to rhythm and performance that would become the foundation of his professional life. Growing up in Chicago also placed Vanderbilt within one of America’s richest musical communities. His development was influenced by accomplished musicians and mentors including Ramsey Lewis, Ernie Adams, Orbert Davis, Willie Pickens, Pat Mallinger and Clark Terry. Those early experiences helped shape both his musicianship and his approach to performing. HELPFUL LINKS: VETERANS: https://www.va.gov/.../mental-health/suicide-prevention/ ADDICTION: https://lp.recoverycentersofamerica.com/.../continuum-of.../ Due you know someone that has lost their lives due to addiction? Or even someone that has made a full recovery? Reach out to Johnny Whitaker so they can help to celebrate the lives lost/ lives recovered at [email protected] ___________________________________________ Follow our guest https://www.instagram.com/franklin_vanderbilt_official?hl=en https://franklinvanderbilt.com/ ______________________________ Toking with the Dead: https://www.stilltoking.com/ ————————————— Follow Still Toking With and their friends! https://smartpa.ge/5zv1 ————————————— Produced by Leo Pond and The Dorkening Podcast Network MORE ABOUT THE GUEST; Vanderbilt’s love for acting emerged while attending Carl Schurz High School in Chicago. Already comfortable expressing himself through music, he was asked by the head of the drama department to step onto a stage and deliver a few lines from a script. The experience was transformative. For the first time, Vanderbilt experienced the feeling of performing onstage without an instrument in his hands. He realized that his voice and his body could become the instrument. That moment sparked his love for acting and established a connection between dramatic performance and music that would remain with him throughout his career. While at Carl Schurz, Vanderbilt continued developing through the dramatic arts while also participating in marching band and the ROTC Drum & Bugle Corps. In 1999, Vanderbilt left his hometown of Chicago and relocated to Las Vegas, continuing his pursuit of a professional career in entertainment. In 2003, he made another major move, relocating to Los Angeles, California. His career as a musician would eventually take him around the world. Vanderbilt spent approximately 15 years performing with Lenny Kravitz and has also worked with artists including Stanley Clarke, Chaka Khan, Richie Kotzen and Stevie Wonder. He later joined Robby Krieger and the Soul Savages, working alongside founding Doors guitarist Robby Krieger. After years of being recognized primarily behind the drums, Vanderbilt expanded his creative identity as a singer-songwriter, guitarist and recording artist. His solo work led to the creation of Inside My Silence, produced by Vanderbilt and Alan Parsons. The album represents another evolution in Vanderbilt’s career, placing his own voice, songwriting and artistic perspective at the center of the music. His single “Everybody’s Talking About Love” was released in 2026 and received radio and media attention across the United States.

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