A Zippedy Doodle Day : American Folk Songs 2026 Vocal Event of the Year Nominee – The Josie Music Awards AirPlay Direct Global Americana Single Charts April #6 & May #13! Down Yonder Too A Skillet Licker Centennial Preserving the “Soul” of Appalachia The arrangement is a dizzying, delightful mix of fiddle, harmonica, banjo, jug, […]
John Donne wrote, centuries ago, “No man is an island.” Sometimes I catch myself living as though I were one anyway. If we are lucky we surround ourselves with family, friends, and acquaintances. Yet how often do we truly belong to one another? Some of us seldom leave the self-imposed exile of our personal islands […]
ORDER TODAY! Step onto a sunlit Southern porch and settle into a rocking chair overlooking misty Georgia mountains at golden sunrise. In Frankly Speaking: Thoughts on This and That, Randall Franks — one of America’s favorite TV cops (“Officer Randy Goode” from In the Heat of the Night) and beloved country entertainer — shares warm, […]
I can still remember standing in the doorway of the kitchen as a young boy, watching my mother tackle one business project after another from the kitchen table which served as he desk. She moved with purpose and quiet intensity—papers spread across the table, phone pressed to her ear, always thinking several steps ahead. The […]
There are seasons in life when worries, sorrows, fears, and quiet depressions gather like autumn leaves drifting from the branches. One by one they fall— a health scare, a strained relationship, financial strain, the ache of loneliness, or simply the relentless news of the world—until they form a thick, damp blanket over the ground. The […]
There are many times in my life when I have searched for the reason someone I care about becomes ill or suffers through a series of events. I have sat by the bedside, watching tubes connected to a loved one’s body, and seen people struggle to find a new normal after a health crisis. I […]
In the quiet hills of Ottway, Greene County, Tennessee, the small Malone Cemetery guards a powerful story of generational sacrifice. Here lie two Revolutionary-era veterans: John Joseph Malone Sr. (1724–1783) and his son, John Malone Jr. (1752–1823). Father and son, buried side by side, their graves mark not just a family plot, but a testament […]
Some of the most difficult times to watch are when someone we know is trying to be there for a loved one who is coming to the end of their journey. As I think back through the years, I remember watching my parents as they reached out to support friends or relatives in such times. […]
THIS COLUMN MARKS THE OUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY IN SOUTHERN STYLE “Thank you for all the years of allowing me to share my thoughts with you!” Randall Franks As I stumbled along the dirt road, I would occasionally reach up and slip my hand into Grandpa Jesse‘s. When an independent streak struck, I would pull it […]
I crowded into the MARTA bus headed toward downtown Atlanta. I grabbed a seat as the bus filled up. A Black woman in a gray dress and heels got on, and I noticed there was no available seat, so I rose and moved toward the back, giving her my seat. As I got situated near […]
