Frank Robinson (1932-July 4, 2004) was an eccentric street entertainer in Nottingham, England. He was by far Nottingham's best known busker and was regularly seen around Nottingham's city centre for over fifteen years. His favourite busking place was outside of the C&A store in the Lister Gate area of the city. For the United States holiday, the Fourth of July, see Independence Day (United States). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nottingham is a city (and county town of Nottinghamshire) in the East Midlands of England. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... Busking is the practice of doing live performances in public places to entertain people, usually to solicit donations and tips. ...

Little is known about Robinson's personal life or background. Robinson lived in Cotgrave, south of Nottingham, travelling to the city each day. His name only became widely known following his death; to the people of Nottingham and beyond, he was simply and affectionately known as the 'Xylophone Man.' Location within the British Isles For the lexicographer, see Randle Cotgrave Cotgrave is a town in the borough of Rushcliffe, in Nottinghamshire, England, lying south east of Nottingham. ... Nottingham is a city (and county town of Nottinghamshire) in the East Midlands of England. ...

Robinson played a small child's glockenspiel (despite his nickname) with a very limited repertoire. His seemingly random hitting of bars was a familiar noise in the city centre for over fifteen years. Despite lacking musical abilities his excitable and enthusiastic approach to his instrument endeared him to the Nottingham public and also earned him something of a cult following. Most orchestral glockenspiels are mounted in a case. ...

The Xylophone Man also branched out from street busking when, in 2002, he recorded a xylophone version of the opening to Greenday's Basket Case for independent film "Split-Decision". The out of time cover was used in opening credits of the film, and Robinson was specifically tracked down to record it.

His death in July 2004 sparked genuine mourning from many of the city's people. BBC Radio Nottingham placed a tributes page on its website which within hours had hundreds of messages from city's residents as well as people much further a field. BBC Radio Nottingham is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Nottinghamshire. ...

On November 10, 2005, a simple memorial was unveiled outside of the store where he had been seen regularly for the past fifteen years. Paying tribute to the Xylophone Man, the plaque reads "He played his Xylophone here for fifteen years, bringing a smile to the faces of the people of Nottingham". November 10 is the 314th day of the year (315th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 51 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• City Council unveil Xylophone Man memorial
• Interview with Frank