Frankie's dark secret; ROCKER'S GUILTY PAST Brits winner, 32, revealed as a Frannie, 37.
Byline: By LYNN McPHERSONROCK god Frankie Poullain is in the coolest band on the planet, playing to thousands of screaming fans and picking up awards at the Brits. But the shades-wearing Scots bassist in The Darkness has been keeping a dark secret he lies about his age.
School pals of the moustachioed rocker yesterday revealed Frankie Poullain, 32, is really Frannie Patterson, nearly 37.
The musician claims to be 32 which would still make him the oldest member of the retro rock band by four years.
But, in fact, he was born in 1967 and is due to turn 37 on April 15. Sunday Mail investigators saw a copy of his birth certificate to prove his true age.
Fellow band-mate Ed Graham is almost a decade younger than Frankie at 27, while Justin Hawkins is 28, with his brother Dan a year younger. Frankie went to the Royal High School in Edinburgh along with brothers, former stockbroker Tim and party planner Chris, and left in 1985 when he was 18.
Last night, his management insisted the bassist's advancing years were shrouded in mystery. Andy Hart, from Press Counsel, said: 'Age is but a number. Frankie's a bit of an enigma.'
School pals spoke of their surprise that the bassist had shaved so many years off his age.
Environmental conservationist Duggie Brooks, 36, who now lives in Leamington Spa, is a Darkness fan but had no idea it was Frankie playing bass.
He said: 'He was quite academic. I had no idea what his musical tastes were, although I can tell you that Katrina and the Waves were No.1 with Walkin' on Sunshine the week we left school.
'He was known as Frannie or Francis Patterson at school, so maybe that's why none of us realised it was him. Ours was a huge year there were eight classes of 34.
'But he wasn't a child genius, so I suspect that he's not 32 as he's claiming, and 36 like the rest of us.'
Fellow-pupil Ross Hunter, of Edinburgh, was stunned to hear of his former classmate's success. He said: 'Frannie Patterson? Good for him. I had no idea, and I watched the Brits the whole way through the other night.
'My daughter's a big fan. He's the weird-looking bloke, isn't he? At school he was just a nice, normal guy. But if he's claiming to be 32, then so am I.'
Frankie was raised by his French-born mother, Catherine Poullain, in Milnathort, Kinross, before moving to Edinburgh when he was 11.
His parents split and musician dad Austin Patterson now lives in the West Indies. Comedian Phil Kay is his stepbrother. Frankie's mother married Phil's father and the couple went on to have two sons, Julian and Samuel.
Recalling his childhood days, Frankie said: 'My mother married Phil's dad and he used to come to Milnathort every weekend.
'Phil's a great stand-up comedian and he was funny even as a child. We always had a real laugh together.
'We used to call each other Scottish Cup because we both have massive ears.'
Frankie has recorded an entry on the Friends Reunited website alongside other former pupils of the Royal High School.
His message to old school pals tells of the gypsy lifestyle he enjoyed on leaving class and was written at the end of 2001, not long before The Darkness began their rise to fame.
The Darkness have become the most talked about band in Britain in recent months and cemented their brilliant year with a hat-trick of awards at the Brits on Tuesday night.
Singer Justin has been compared to Freddie Mercury because of his leopard-skin leotards and falsetto on songs such as I Believe In A Thing Called Love and Growing on Me.
A band insider told the Sunday Mail: 'It's a bit naughty but it's not like the record company told him to lie or anything 'Frankie's very sensitive about it because the other lads are that bit younger.But with the success they're having, I doubt it's much of an issue at the moment.'
Celebrities have turned lying about their age into a virtual art form.
It-girl Tamara Beckwith seems to have stopped counting her birthdays at 29, when the mother of teenager Anouska is 32.
Italian fashion designer Donatella Versace claims she is in her mid-40s, although she is 50.
T in the Park chiefs claim the festival's future is safe despite a business review at beer giants Tennent's, the gig's main sponsors.
CAPTION(S):
Coming of age: Frankie,; right, and, above, with Dan, Justin and Ed
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| Publication: | Sunday Mail (Glasgow, Scotland) |
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| Date: | Feb 22, 2004 |
| Words: | 763 |
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