Rodgers Allen Frantz

Rodgers "Rod" Allen Frantz, performing artist and arts advocate, passed away peacefully on October 1, 2026, after a long struggle with health challenges, surrounded by family, friends, and “Bowie”, his beloved dog. 

Born in 1955 at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, to Suzanne and Robert Frantz, Rod was raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where he attended Shady Side Academy. Upon graduating, he moved to Washington, D.C. where he attended American University. Throughout his life, Rod combined the instincts of an artist, entrepreneur, and civic leader, leaving an enduring mark on the cultural life of Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, and Connecticut through his contributions to music, the arts, and community development.

 Rod (“Roddy” to friends) was best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the groundbreaking Washington, D.C., avant-rock and new-wave band Urban Verbs, whose music helped define a new creative movement in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Urban Verbs released two albums on Warner Bros. Records, establishing the band as one of the era's most influential acts. The group recorded with Brian Eno and shared stages with artists including The Cramps, The B-52s, and Devo. With his distinctive voice, poetic lyrics, and magnetic stage presence, Rod became one of the defining figures of the emerging music scene. Friends and fellow musicians remembered him as a true original whose passion, ideas, and artistic daring inspired generations of performers and creators. Many described him as “electric,” someone who lit up every room with new ideas, enthusiasm, and possibility. The band's early performances at the Atlantis Club, later renamed the 9:30 Club, helped launch the venue to legendary status. Post-Verbs, Rod went on to devote much of his professional life to advancing the arts, supporting creative communities, and helping cities envision new possibilities. 

His love for his hometown eventually brought him back to “the Burgh” where he took a prominent role with the Riverlife Taskforce, the nationally recognized effort that transformed the city's relationship with its bountiful waterfronts and helped create a new vision for urban revitalization. He also served on the Board of Advisors for the Andy Warhol Museum, a figure and institution for which he felt a great fondness.

 Later, Rod joined his mother and siblings in Connecticut, where he continued to blend art, innovation, and civic engagement. He led and supported a number of pioneering public arts initiatives, including the CreateHereNow Initiative and the Connecticut City Canvas Project. Through these efforts, he helped the Governor's office bring large-scale public art, creative placemaking, and cultural engagement to communities across the state. Among the most visible projects was the illumination of the Stamford Transportation Center, transforming a familiar landmark into a celebrated public artwork. Rod believed deeply that art belonged not only in museums and galleries, but also in public spaces where it could inspire, connect, and strengthen communities.

 The son of a Major General, Rod had a deep reverance for veterans. In 2015, he combined this with his passion for the arts as Program Manager for the Veteran Artist Program of Connecticut, a role which culminated in A Celebration of Veteran Artists, a live event showcasing veteran writers, dance choreographers, and theater performers.

 As much as he put into his work, nothing was more important to Rod than family, and no family more important than his two sons. He wrote them poems, threw them grand birthday parties, and encouraged them to pursue their passions. He was incredibly proud of them. Eventually, enough peers had remarked on what fine boys he'd raised that he co-authored a parenting book, The Yes Child: A Simple Guide to Raising Great Kids. 

In 2024, he returned to music as Nicki Butane and assembled a collection of new bandmates under the name Flameproof Mascara. The six-song EP that resulted, FMMF, is a testament to a creative drive and penchant for attracting new collaborators that could not be stopped even as his health declined. 

Beyond his artistic and professional output, Rod will be remembered for his indelible personality. He had an everpresent sense of humor, at once warm and sharp, honed for charming newcomers and bringing close friends to tears. He spoke of kindred spirits as his “tribe” and championed them with a fierceness befitting the term. He had a rare talent for making people believe that great ideas were possible and inspiring them to help bring those ideas to life. Perhaps his most inarguable trait both artistically and personally was his gift for creating memorable moments – no one ever met Rod and then forgot about him, he made sure of that. As one friend, referencing an Urban Verbs lyric, wrote in tribute, “There's only one of you.” For everyone fortunate enough to know Rod Frantz, that sentiment could not have been more true. 

Rod is survived by his sons Max and Charles; his daughters-in-law Susan and Lindsey; his grandchildren Sam and Amy; his brother Chris; his sister Ruth; and a wide circle of family members, friends, collaborators, and admirers whose lives he touched. He was predeceased by his parents, Suzanne and Robert Frantz. 

The family extends its heartfelt gratitude to Dana Silzer, Juliet McBride, Kwaku Arhin, Johnson Anto, and the staff at Sturges Ridge of Fairfield, whose friendship, dedication, and exceptional care brought comfort not only to Rod but also to those who loved him. The family is equally grateful to Lana Karmiel of Constellation Hospice for the compassionate support and care provided during his final days. 

A Memorial Service celebrating Rod's life will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church, Southport, Connecticut, on Saturday, November 21, 2026, at 1:30 p.m..

 In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Rod's memory to Constellation Health Services of Connecticut, The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, or the American Diabetes Association.