Song Clearance Sheet
4 sources citedFrankie and Johnny
Folk Ballad1900sPictured: “Frankie and Johnny” (period illustration) (public domain) · source
The verdict
Public Domain
In the public domain — but check the Rights Status below; a specific host's copy can carry its own caveat.
Used by independents?
Yes — it’s in the public domain — free for any independent artist to use, with no clearance needed.
Based on a real 1899 killing
On October 15, 1899, in St. Louis, 22-year-old Frankie Baker shot her 17-year-old lover Allen "Al" Britt after finding him with another woman; Britt died four days later. Baker was tried, claimed self-defense, and was acquitted
A remarkably fast folk response
St. Louis songwriter Bill Dooley composed and sold sheet music for "Frankie Killed Allen" on street corners within days — one account says before Britt had even died
The originator went uncredited
Dooley was never credited on the 1904 commercial publication ("He Done Me Wrong"), which instead credited ragtime composer Hughie Cannon
Rights Status
Licenses explained →Public domain is not one blanket badge — each source can carry its own caveat
The compositionPublic domain
The early recordingPublic domain
Cultural Impact
Documented covers, adaptations, and cultural echoes — each with a real, dated source
The real Frankie spent decades fighting the song’s portrayal — and lost
Frankie Baker moved to Portland, Oregon to escape her notoriety, living in poverty. She sued film studios over defamatory portrayals — including a 1938 suit against Republic Pictures for $200,000 over the 1936 film "Frankie and Johnny," tried in 1942. Her claims were unsuccessful.
McMenamins · read it →
A real, documented human cost
Neighborhood children reportedly taunted Baker by singing the song outside her window. She died in a Portland mental institution in 1952 — worth stating plainly: the song's popularity came at a lasting cost to the actual person it was based on.
Wikipedia (Frankie Baker) · read it →
One of the most adapted American folk ballads
It spawned hundreds of versions and multiple films. Note: the 1991 film "Frankie and Johnny" (Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer) borrows only the title — an unrelated romantic story, not the murder ballad.
Songfacts · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?Yes — free to use without clearance
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Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Page created — full PD research (batch NEW)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending a separate manual keyfinder pass