Frankie LaRocka was a musician and producer. He was a member of Scandal and, at various stages, played the drums with Bon Jovi, David Johansen, Bryan Adams, and John Waite.



In the 1990s, he became an A&R man and producer with his most notable work being with the Spin Doctors on their breakthrough album 'Pocket Full of Kryptonite'.



Born as Frank LaRocca in 1954, he started his career playing drums with David Johansen on Johansen's self-titled album from 1978. He joined Scandal in 1982 and played on their self-titled album of the same year as well as earning credit on John Waite's self-titled album.



Bon Jovi opened for Scandal in a 1984 tour which led to that band being signed to Polygram Records. La Rocka played drums on their 1984 Bon Jovi album. After parting company with Scandal, he returned to session work playing on sessions by John Waite as well as working with Bryan Adams. In the early '90s, LaRocka played drums with Company of Wolves, a straight-ahead rock band signed to Mercury Records.



By the end of his career at Sony, LaRocka was vice president of the A&R department. He was back playing drums for a New York band Hot Monkey Love and with Noel Redding on a 2002 live album recorded at Prague. He also had an independent production company, Straight Line Productions, and had signed the band happyendings to J Records where they were recording their debut record.



LaRocka died after undergoing heart surgery in New York in May 2005.