Maddie Denton (second from right) of Murfreesboro, Tenn. won the Randall Franks Trophy at the 1890s Day Old Time Fiddle Convention May 28, 2016. In the fiddle off, she faced Mark Ralph (third from left) of Somerville, Ala. winner of the 51 and up category, who won second, Andrew Lin (second from left) of Lexington, […]
International Bluegrass Music Museum Legend and country humorist Randall Franks, “Officer Randy Goode” from TV’s “In the Heat of the Night,” returns to his Southern gospel music roots with his new CD “Keep ‘Em Smilin’.” Franks became the first solo bluegrass artist to reach the top rankings of the Christian music sales charts with […]
I have seen numerous members of my family and friends go through the ups and downs of chronic illnesses, and watched as they struggled with tasks which once they had performed with ease. When I was just a child, volunteering in a local nursing home, I met a woman who was around eighty at the […]
Some of the most difficult times to watch are when someone we know is trying to be there for a loved one when he or she is coming to the end of his or her journey. As I think back through the years, I remember watching my mother and father as they reached out to […]
I reached over and turned off the 5:15 a.m. alarm. Rubbing my face with my hands, I wiped the sleep from my eyes as I threw back the covers and headed towards the bathroom to wash myself awake. The hotel room looked like many others that I stay in week after week when I am […]
Country music humorist Randall Franks, “Officer Randy Goode” from TV’s “In the Heat of the Night,” recently debuted music and comedy from his upcoming Christian CD “Keep ‘Em Smilin’” at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga. to an international congregation. “Performing years ago for a Carter family gathering and grand marshaling the Plains […]
Two of my favorites country performers Gene Watson and John Anderson are back with successes to share. Gene Watson blends traditional, organic country that purists long for in his new album, Real.Country.Music., available across digital retailers. Watson’s 33rd studio album charted at No. 72 on Billboard Top Country Albums and is No. 1 on Amazon’s […]
Click, click, click, click, emanates from my sneakers as I walk along the hiking path ever hopeful that with each passing mile I am a little more fit and well on my way to losing the few pounds I am seeking to shed. After opening boxes, and pulling jeans up only to find they will […]
As the first yellow daffodil lifts the dirt from the formally cold ground. Its green blades protect it as it finds its way rising towards the warmth of the sun. As God paints a splash of colors alongside a variety of beautiful colors against the rolling green hills, I feel a sense of hope. The […]
I watched the white sheers wave gently back and forth in the windows of the living room as the breeze eased its way into the house. It was an extraordinarily hot day. By mid morning the coolness gained in the previous night had given way to the demands of the sun making everyone glisten in […]
