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Binky Griptite, also known as Frank Stribling, is most prominently recognized for his chunky yet funky rhythm guitar with Brooklyn’s Dap-Kings, who have long backed up Sharon Jones as part of a resurgence of ‘60s funk and soul.
He began on the bass when he became captivated by Parliament Funkadelic’s Bootsy Collins. His venture into the six-string came later and didn’t become compelling until Griptite came across Ted Nugent’s Cat Scratch Fever. This led him from his hometown in Milwaukee to Minneapolis in the late ‘80s and to New York City in the ‘90s, where he reinvented himself as a hollowbody-wielding rhythm player.
Even before he was proficient in playing the guitar, Griptite spent his days gazing at his Korean knockoff Ibanez Iceman and poring over guitar magazines at his local pharmacy. “My first real guitar story is when I got in trouble with the law for shoplifting,” he says. “I stole a copy of Guitar World from the newsstand with Andy Summers on the cover.
“I’ll never forget it – he was holding a Shoreline Gold Fender Strat, and there was a big picture of him in the centerfold. I was pacing around Walgreens for about an hour, trying not to be noticed, and that obviously gets you noticed more. And when I finally decided to walk out, security was right behind me.”
Thankfully, his brief flirtation with a life of crime didn’t impact his future career. In his 20s, Griptite featured on Janet Jackson’s Janet (1993), making a name for himself as a session ace who could shred on the guitar. However, there followed an identity crisis; he put his guitar down, moved to New York City, and became a different person and a better player by his estimation.
Teaming up with the Dap-Kings, he evolved into a premier funk player and soon caught the ear of Mark Ronson, who, in 2006, was working on what would eventually become Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black album. Griptite would go on to feature on six tracks and tour the world with Winehouse before returning to the Dap-Kings.
He quit the band in 2018, but still looks back with fondness. “We were great, man,” he says. “People loved the band. But the thing is that everyone thinks of the Dap-Kings as a horn band.
“The truth is that the band wouldn’t have worked without guitars. If the guitar players miss the plane and aren’t at the show… the horn players won’t be able to do it all night. So, I’m proud of what we did.”
What inspired you to play guitar?
“I always loved music. Read More