Frank Guidry
Guitar

In all actuality, the original Outlaw.  When Guidry's Tampa based band called the Outlaws broke up in about 1965 or 1966, he joined with members of the Tampa band "The Four Letter Words" which included  David Dix, Herb Pino and Hughie Thomasson, Hobie O'Brien and Phil Humberg.  The band kept the name the Outlaws, but a year or so later did NOT keep Guidry.  Advised by their management (who ironically came as part of the Outlaws-FLW merger) that he was "holding them back", the band, with mixed emotion, let him go.  Or so the story has been told....

Earlier this year I received an email from Frank saying he was back in Tampa  working with a new band, but on March 16, 2002-- I received the following message in my email:

HELLO..

JUST TO LET YOU KNOW IM FINE AMD WELL...I DECIDED THAT I WANTED A SOLO CAREER MORE NOW THAN DEALING WITH A BAND...TALKED WITH HUGHIE THOMASSON AND WE ARE GOING INTO THE STUDIO TOGETHER FOR MY SOLO ALBUM. WILL BE ON HUGHIE NEW RECORD LABEL..HE WILL PRODUCE IT AND PLAY GUITAR ON SOME SONGS...WE HAVE MAINTAIN THE BEST OF FRIENDS....IM ALSO GOING TO WRITE A BOOK...ABOUT THE EARLY DAYS OF FLORIDAS' GREATEST ROCK BAND OF THE 60'S AND 70'S..ILL HAVE PICTURES AND PERSONAL NOTES FROM OTHER BAND FRIENDS..SO STAY TUNED..ILL SEND U A COPY,SUSAN..ILL TELL THE REAL STORY OF HOW RONNY ELLIOTT TOOK MY PLACE AND DESTROYED THE ORIGNAL OUTLAWS..I STILL GET UPSET WITH ALL OF THAT AND HUGHIE AND I DISCUSS IT IN LENGTH IN MY NOTES FOR THE BOOK...
I HAVE BEEN IN NEW ORLEANS RECORDING SOME DEMOS FOR THE CD..AT 25TH STUDIO..HUGHIEIS WORKING WITH SKYNARD BOYS RIGHT NOW..WE WILL PUT IT TOGETHER HIS NEXT BREAK FROM THEM..IVE BEEN PLAYING IN CLUBS IN NEW ORLEANS AS A SOLO.WILL SEND U SOME PICS..
I REALLY APPREICATE UR INTEREST IN THE ORIGINAL OUTLAWS...I TAKE NO CREDIT FROM HUGHIES SOUTHERN ROCK OUTLAWS,,,HE TELLS ME IF IT WASNT FOR MY LEADERSHIP TO LEARN BY..IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HARDER FOR HIM..I JUST SMILE AND SAY I HAD FLORDA'S BEST TO WORK WITH....

 WELL ILL KEEP U INFORMED AND ILL SEND U PICS ON ME IN THE STUDIO AND ON STAGE ..

THANKS FOR THE SITE YOUR WONDRFUL FOR IT..
YOUR NEW FRIEND..FRANK

Right behind that message came this one:

susie,

this a latest picture...taken in 2002...im scanning some pictures for you and a little history...

thank you, frank guidry