Anthony James Franklin (born 2 April 1962) is an English rock musician, best known for his work on the fretless bass guitar with Roy Harper, The Firm, Jimmy Page, Paul Rodgers, John Sykes' Blue Murder, David Gilmour, Kate Bush, Whitesnake, Lou Gramm, Gary Hoey[1] and most recently with Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

He returned to music performance full-time in mid-2011, when he joined Kenny Wayne Shepherd's band for the tour supporting the guitarist's 2011 album, How I Go.

In January 2006 Fender introduced the Tony Franklin Fretless Precision Bass,[4] a distinctive instrument, with an alder body and modern C-shaped maple neck with an unfinished and unfretted ebony fingerboard with side dot position markers.

Prior to his work with The Firm, Franklin toured and recorded with English folk/rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper, appearing on eight of his albums between 1982 and 2013.

[5] In 1996, Franklin played on long-time friend Donna Lewis's album Now in a Minute, which spawned the worldwide smash hit single “I Love You Always Forever".