Francis Eugene Beecher (September 29, 1921 – February 24, 2014) was the lead guitarist for Bill Haley & His Comets from 1954 to 1962, and is best remembered for his innovative guitar solos that incorporated elements of jazz.

His guitar work influenced young musicians playing the same venues in the Philadelphia/Reading area where the Comets were based, among them the guitarist and future legendary comic-book writer-artist Jim Steranko.

[1] Beecher first worked with the Comets in fall 1954 as a session musician, replacing the recently deceased guitarist Danny Cedrone.

According to Swenson, Beecher would also occasionally perform the voice during live shows, with Haley or Williamson humorously introducing him as a baritone.

Finally, starting in 1987, the surviving members of the 1954-55 Comets reunited and proceeded to tour the world and make new recordings for the next two decades.

[citation needed] Franny Beecher's compositions included "Blue Comet Blues", "Goofin' Around", "Shaky", "Tampico Twist", "The Beak Speaks", "Hot to Trot", "Beecher Boogie Woogie", "Whistlin' and Walkin' Twist", "The Catwalk", and "Week End", which was a chart hit with The Kingsmen, reaching no.35, co-written with Rudy Pompilli and Billy Williamson.

"Week End" was recorded and released as a single by rock guitarist Link Wray in September, 1963 as Swan S-4154.

The Les Paul Custom featured a pair of black single coil P-90 pickups, one of which was a bar magnet P-90.

Earlier, he had played a Gibson L-5 acoustic with a cutaway body and a DeArmond pickup, as noted in Sound and Glory, page 100.