Biography 2024 & 2023 Vocalist of the Year (Inspirational – Christian) and Musician of the Year (Fiddle) Nominee The Josie Awards Grand Ole Opry House Randall Franks is an American TV and film actor, award-winning Appalachian entertainer, motivational speaker, author, award-winning journalist, and a syndicated newspaper columnist. He is best known as “Officer Randy Goode” from TV’s “In the Heat of the Night,” a role he performed on NBC and CBS from 1988-1993. Randall is a Brand Ambassador for TikPik – The Pik that Sticks Get yours today here: https://www.tikpik.com?ref=randall_franks He has co-starred or starred in two other TV series and films with superstars including Dolly Parton, Stella Parton, Christian Slater, William Hurt, John Schneider, Elizabeth McGovern, Soren Fulton, and legendary western star Ramblin’ “Doc” Tommy Scott. As a producer/director, he created the PBS documentary “Still Ramblin'” in 2001 and in 2022 is directing his short film “The American’s Creed” set during the American Revolution. Franks’s musical stylings have been heard in 150 countries and by more than 145 million worldwide. His musical career boasts 26 album releases, 20 singles, and over 250 recordings with various artists from various genres. He achieved 2 #1 AirPlay Direct Global Albums in 2019 including “Americana Youth of Southern Appalachia” and “Christmas Time’s A Comin’.” “Americana Youth of Southern Appalachia” reached #1 three years in a row 2019-2021. He debuted his popular 2016 album is “Keep ‘Em Smilin'” in a special appearance with former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. The award-winning fiddler’s best-selling release, “Handshakes and Smiles” was a top-twenty Christian music seller. Many of his albums were among the top 30-bluegrass recordings of their release year. The Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame member began guest starring for the Grand Ole Opry as a teen. He shared a top country vocal collaboration with Grand Ole Opry stars The Whites. In addition to his solo career, Franks is a former member of Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys, Jim and Jesse’s Virginia Boys and has performed with Jeff and Sheri Easter, The Lewis Family, the Marksmen Quartet, Elaine and Shorty, “Doc” Tommy Scott’s Last Real Old Time Medicine Show and Doodle and the Golden River Grass. Franks was recognized as an International Bluegrass Music Museum Legend in 2010. He was inducted in the Independent Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013 and America’s Old Time Country Music Hall of Fame in 2019 and the Tri-State Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2022. He was selected by AirPlay Direct as its first 2020 Evolution Grant Artist. Radio may find links to download from many of his albums at www.AirPlayDirect.com/RandallFranks/ . He served on the Ringgold City Council from 2009-2021 and is chairman of the Catoosa Citizens for Literacy, which assists individuals in learning to read and pursuing a GED at its Catoosa County Learning Center near Ringgold, Ga. He is also president of the Share America Foundation, Inc. that provides the Pearl and Floyd Franks Scholarship to musicians continuing the traditional music of Appalachia. He hosts a monthly concert series at the historic Ringgold Depot which helps fund the scholarships. He is the Northwest Georgia Joint Economic Development Authority film industry liaison. He also serves as Georgia Production Partnership government affairs committee. Georgia Governor Nathan Deal recognized Franks in 2013 for his philanthropic efforts yielding more than $1.9 million benefiting Georgians in need. He authored eleven books including “Seeing Faith : A Devotional,” “Testing the Metal of Life: The Joe Barger Story” with Joe Barger, “A Badge or an Old Guitar”, “Encouragers III: A Guiding Hand,” “Encouragers II: Walking with the Masters,” “Encouragers I: Finding the Light,” “Whittlin’ and Fiddlin’ My Own Way” with Violet Hensley, “A Mountain Pearl: Appalachian Reminiscing and Recipes,” “Stirring Up Success with a Southern Flavor” and “Stirring Up Additional Success with a Southern Flavor” with Shirley Smith, and “Snake Oil, Superstars and Me” with “Doc” Tommy Scott and Shirley Swiesz. The award-winning journalist is a syndicated columnist with his “Southern Style” appearing weekly in newspapers from North Carolina to Texas. He was included among his generation’s leading country humorists in the recent Loyal Jones book “Country Music Humorists and Comedians.” His family includes many of America’s Founding Fathers. Forty eight of the fifty-six signers of the Declaration of Independence are among his family as was George Washington. His forebearers settled in areas of Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia and his kin includes notable frontiersmen Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Adam Sherrill, Tennessee’s first Governor John Sevier, WWI hero Alvin C. York, “The Walton’s” creator Earl Hamner and numerous well-known country and bluegrass music performers. He also descends from several European royal houses including the English House of Tudor and Plantagenet dynasties, Scottish House of Bruce and House of Stuart , French Capetian Dynasty, Francia Carolingian Dynasty, Russian Rurik Dynasty , and the Italian and Spanish House of Ivrea and House of Trastámara . Among his grandfathers are King Edward III of England, Robert the Bruce and King James IV of Scotland and King Philip IV of France, and King Ferdinand II of Spain.
