And now for something COMPLETELY different

Tonight’s offering is gonna be a bit off the wall: a totally non-political topic, discussing a funny little thing I happened across serendipitously from a source most curious, a friggin’ ad, of all things.

Frank Stallone, brother of Sylvester, he of the Rocky movies among other notables.

Having paid almost no attention to Hollywood and its output over the last decade or two, I cannot truthfully say that keep up with either Frank or Sylvester and their comings and/or goings has been of much importance at all to me. But after stumbling across an advertisement for…wait for it…waaaaiiiiit for it…

FRANK STALLONE GUITARS, no less (GULP!)…

Well, okay, I have to confess, my curiosity was now fully and firmly piqued. I mean, really now, who knew?

As it turns out, there’s a good bit to know about Sly’s baby bro. For one thing, he’s probably better known as a songwriter/musician than he is an actor. After getting his foot in the door penning soundtrack music for Sylvester’s films, Frank went on to enjoy great success on his own hook, to wit:

Stallone has worked as a singer. He wrote and performed "Far from Over" for the 1983 film Staying Alive, which was written and directed by his older brother. The song peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming his only major pop hit, and it was nominated for a Golden Globe award for Best Original Song from a Motion Picture. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special.

Stallone also played himself in a recurring role on the short-lived sitcom Movie Stars, alongside fellow celebrity siblings Don Swayze and Joey Travolta.

Stallone was the subject of repeated non-sequitur punchlines delivered by comedian Norm Macdonald during the Weekend Update segment of the television show Saturday Night Live.

Stallone appeared as a boxing consultant on the NBC reality television series The Contender in 2005. He appeared on the Howard Stern radio and television shows on several occasions. During one 1992 appearance on The Howard Stern Show, Stallone had a boxing match with television reporter Geraldo Rivera; Stallone won the bout. He was a contestant on Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling, a reality competition series on CMT that followed ten celebrity contestants as they trained to be professional wrestlers. He also appeared on an episode of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!

Ah, but is that all, you ask? Not by a long yard, it ain’t.

On August 17, 2010, the Australian comedy duo Hamish & Andy flew Stallone, then aged 60, to Australia for a one-night-only gig called "Hamish & Andy present: Frank Stallone “Let me be Frank with you” The Fully Franked Tour'". Following a parade in Melbourne, Stallone performed "Far from Over" to an audience of over 2,000 people. Hamish & Andy were big fans of the song, claiming it always pumped them up, and they dubbed the phenomenon "The Frank Effect". Stallone said of the night, "This is seriously one of the best, best times I've ever had.”

A documentary directed and produced by Derek Wayne Johnson entitled STALLONE: Frank, That Is about the life, career and survival of Frank Stallone was released in 2021. The documentary features interviews with Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Billy Zane, Geraldo Rivera, Joe Mantegna and many others.

Nor is even that the whole Frank Stallone story, either. From the Frank Stallone Guitars (!!!) website:

HOW WE GOT STARTED…
Frank Stallone Guitars was founded by award-winning musician and performer, Frank Stallone, with his business partner, Gary “GJ” Panepinto, a financial services executive & guitar lover.

The company started as a passion project to make high-quality guitars affordable to guitar players of all levels. Frank has hand-selected components of the guitar for sound quality, playability, and looks that meet his high standards. Gary has negotiated with the suppliers for the best value, so that Frank Stallone Guitars can manufacture great guitars that are proudly MADE IN THE USA.

By using the Internet exclusively as their “storefront,” Frank Stallone Guitars can offer these high-quality electric guitars at a much lower cost to the guitar community. These guitars are not available anywhere else. Finally, we guarantee your satisfaction with our guitars with a 30-day, 100% money-back guarantee (return shipping not included).

Frank Stallone Guitars is a privately-held company organized by Frank and Gary to search the world for the highest quality and best value for the Guitarist.

Our MISSION is to SPREAD the JOY and PASSION of PLAYING GUITAR!!!

What struck me most about the guitars themselves is the tasteful, restrained design and the generous use of the legendary and incomparable P90 pickups, my own personal preference for many, many years. Were I still able to play, I’d be pleased and proud to own a FSG product myself. Not I could’ve afforded one, but still.

And there you have it. So hats off to you, Frank Stallone. Ya done good, boyo, in ways I never would’ve guessed.