From my earliest days in bluegrass music, the Stanley Brothers sound was an inspiration that touched my musical soul. I never imagined that one day I would stand on stage with Ralph Stanley, record with him or produce him. But life is amazing and often takes us where we never dreamed it could. With the […]
I remember standing backstage one night at one of the Country Music awards shows many years ago and as I watched rehearsals I looked over to my right and found a future Country Music Hall of Famer standing beside me – Jimmy Fortune, member of the legendary Statler Brothers, He had stepped out of the […]
Randall Franks joined Georgia artists at Sylvester Cemetery in Atlanta, Ga. recognizing the 149th Birthday of Country Music’s first recording star Fiddlin’ John Carson by playing his first hit “Little Ole Log Cabin in the Lane.” The performance organized by the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame reunited Franks with musician Randy Smith who joined Franks […]
If there is a place where folks come as they are these days, it’s on social media and often it does not reflect our best. Have you ever wondered what happened to dressin’ up when you go to town or when placing yourself in an environment to be seen such as online? When I was […]
When my country music career was in full swing in the 1990s, I loved spending a little time in the office of a country luminary who built credentials as a performer and behind the scenes in the business – Merle Kilgore. I was honored to know and work with him and included him in my […]
Have you ever sat down and looked through your photo albums or boxes of photos and not known whose face you were looking upon? Just the other day I was looking at images from my kindergarten. You would think I would be able to name every one of those kids; I mean it was just […]
Randall Franks made a special musical appearance with friend, country music star and former film co-star Stella Parton at her appearance for the Catoosa County Chamber of Commerce in Ringgold, Ga. in February 2017. (Photos by Mike Key)
As a former newspaper journalist, who covered government, I am perplexed and baffled by the last few weeks as we have watched the American media and the American president debate the place of the press in our joint endeavor of our American experience. For those who take the time to study history, the relationship between […]
Dolly Parton released her first full-length album, “Hello, I’m Dolly” on Feb. 12, 1967. The album, which debuted on Monument Records, contained Parton’s hits “Dumb Blonde” (written by Curly Putman) and “Something Fishy” (written by Parton). Both singles reached the top twenty on the country singles charts, and the album itself reached #11 on the […]
Actor/entertainer Kiefer Sutherland, star of TV’s “Designated Survivor” is getting back on the road this year to play in more than 20 cities. Momentum continues for Kiefer Sutherland’s music career and debut album, DOWN IN A HOLE, which includes 11 co-written tracks by Sutherland and producer Jude Cole. Recently, Sutherland performed “Can’t Stay Away” on […]
