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Randall Franks – Sacred Sounds of Appalachia

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sacred-FRONT-INSERTRandall Franks – Sacred Sounds of Appalachia

$14 plus $2 S&H




Sacred Sounds of Appalachia

Available in Crimson Records CD
Randall “Randy” Franks
Other performers: The Peachtree Pickers: Mark Wheeler, Lewis Phillips, Steve “Rabbit” Easter, Travis Lewis, Bill Everett, Eugene Akers, Earle Wheeler
Crimson Records CRZ111 (1998) Originally leased Zion Records (Sonlite) (1992)
featuring Uncloudy Day, Beautiful Star of Bethlehem, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms, Sweet Hour of Prayer, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Old Time Religion, Amazing Grace, Kneel At the Cross, Just A Rose Will Do, This World Is Not My Home

Popular around the world, this instrumental recording of hymns became one of Randall Franks’s most featured albums on radio as he shared his artistry on fiddle, guitar, mandolin and mountain dulcimer alongside some of America’s greatest acoustic musicians.

Randall Franks – Handshakes and Smiles

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Handshakes-INSERTRandall Franks – Handshakes and Smiles

$14 plus $2 S&H




Handshakes and Smiles

Available in Crimson Records CD

Randall “Randy” Franks
Other performers: Mark Wheeler, Jeff and Sheri Easter, Lewis Phillips, Travis Lewis, Jesse McReynolds, Eugene Akers, Steve Easter, Darrin Chambers, Carol Lee Cooper, and Dennis McCall
Crimson Records CR2679 (1990)
I’ll Meet You in Church Sunday Morning, Meeting in the Air, Until Jesus (Randall Franks), Rock of Ages, Handshakes and Smiles, You Better Get Ready (Randall Franks and Mark Wheeler), Pass Me Not, Everlasting Joy, This Little Light of Mine, He’s Never Gonna Fool Me Again (Randall Franks) 

Handshakes and Smiles was a top 20 Christian music seller for Randall Franks making him the first bluegrass artist to ever reach the top of the Christian music sales charts. It features several of Randall Franks most popular radio and TV musical releases to country and gospel music including its title song – “Handshakes and Smiles,” “You Better Get Ready,” “He’s Never Gonna Fool Me Again,” “Rock of Ages,” and “Pass Me Not.”

Randall Franks and David Davis – God’s Children

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godchildrenRandall Franks and David Davis – God’s Children

$14 plus $2 S&H

God’s Children

Available in Crimson Records CD
Randall Franks & David Davis
Cotton & Jane Carrier, Sonny Shroyer, “Doc” Tommy Scott, Marty Hays
Crimson 1527 (2000)
featuring
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, Must Be A Reason (Randall Franks and James Carson), Where Do I Go From Here? (Randall Franks), This Little Light of Mine, The Old Black Fiddle (Randall Franks), Children In Need with Sonny Shroyer (Randall Franks and Tommy Scott), I’m One of God’s Children (Randall Franks and Cotton Carrier), Leaning On the Everlasting Arms, Life’s Railway to Heaven with Cotton and Jane Carrier, I’ll Shout and Shine, Is There More to Life Than This? (Randall Franks), Say A Little Prayer with “Doc” Tommy Scott


Beckoning to the sounds of O’ Brother Where Art Thou, Randall brought together a collection of Appalachian brother duets with bluegrass star David Davis and some special songs with country music and TV notables including “The Dukes of Hazzard” star Sonny Shroyer.

Randall Franks – Tunes and Tales from Tunnel Hill

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TunesandTalesRandall Franks – Tunes and Tales from Tunnel Hill

$14 plus $2 S&H


Tunes and Tales from Tunnel Hill

Available in Crimson Records CD
Randall Franks with the Sand Mountain Boys
including Gary Waldrep, Kenny Townsel, Wayne Crain and Jerry Crain
Crimson 1634 (1995)
featuring Black Eyed Suzy, A Tunnel Runs Through It (Randall Franks)
Come Go With Me, Little Girl of Mine in Tennessee, Homecoming (Randall Franks), The Way Is in God’s Hands (Randall Franks and Mark Wheeler), In the Garden, Now I Know (Randall Franks), Uncle Elige’s Send Off (Randall Franks), Please Don’t Ever Take Your Love From Me, I’m Walkin’, Filling the River with Tears (Randall Franks), Big Tig, Mr. Roy and Me (Randall Franks), Night Train to Memphis
A popular bluegrass music and comedy collection by Randall Franks recorded during his most productive period of his country music career.

Randall Franks – Down at Raccoon Creek

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Randall Franks – Down at Raccoon Creek

$14 plus $2 S &H


Down at Raccoon Creek – 1985 Available in Crimson Records CD

Randall Franks and The Peachtree Pickers
Other performers: Greg Earnest, Keith Morris, Mark Nelson and Greg Rogers

featuring Fiddlin’ Round, Head Over Heals In Love With You, Flint Hill Special, My Little Georgia Rose, Crying Holy Unto the Lord, Salt Creek, My Heart Is In the Mountains, Sally Goodin’, Foggy Mountain Breakdown, Fire on the Mountain, Sweet Blue Eyed Darling, Man in the Middle, Cripple Creek, I’ll Shout and Shine, Farewell Blues, Orange Blossom Special

Randall Franks and his Peachtree Pickers perform live “Down at Raccoon Creek” near Dallas, Ga. in 1985.

Randall Franks – Early Gospel Favorites

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FRONT-early-Gospel-FavoriteRandall Franks – Early Gospel Favorites

$14 plus $2 S&H


Crimson Records (2010)
Randall Franks and the Peachtree Pickers with Jeff Blalock, Jerry Coursey, Greg   Earnest, Wes Freeman, Lyndon Kolb, Randy McClung, Matthew Mundy, Mark Nelson, Max Tillman and Roy Westray.
He’ll Set Your Fields on Fire, Who Do You Think, There’s A Man in Here, God Put a Rainbow in the Sky, Back Up and Push the Devil Away, It’s Me Again Lord, Jesus Is My Best Friend, Man in the Middle, Building on Sand

Randall Franks and his Peachtree Pickers perform bluegrass gospel music recorded for his first two albums “Ivory Halls” and “Building on Sand.”

Randall Franks – Early Bluegrass Recordings

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EarlyBluegrassFav-frontcoverEarly Bluegrass Recordings
Randall Franks and the Peachtree Pickers

$14 plus $2 S&H



Crimson Records -1926 (2010)

with Greg Earnest, Keith Morris, Mark Nelson and Greg Rogers
Hamilton County Breakdown, Hard Hearted, Ivory Halls, Little Liza Jane, Maiden’s Prayer, Florida Blues, Rainbow at Midnight, Road To Columbus, Dear Old Dixie, Sweet Blue Eyed Darling Back Up And Push, Country Ways, Lil Dave, In Despair, Dragging the Bow, This Old Day, Diesel On My Tail, Foggy Mountain Special
Randall Franks and his Peachtree Pickers perform bluegrass songs and tunes recorded for his first two albums “Ivory Halls” and “Building on Sand.”

Whittlin’ and Fiddlin’ My Own Way by Violet Hensley with Randall Franks

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243b2f156cbb02b5520e5fda9858df7c_plf5Whittlin’ and Fiddlin’ My Own Way by Violet Hensley with Randall Franks

$25





“I never thought I would be writing about my life, my music and my fiddle makin’,” she said. “I could have never dreamed coming from a farm in the backwoods of Arkansas that the things I learned on that farm would make me a TV personality and gain me fame around the world.”

The Arkansas Living Treasure Award winner from Yellville, Arkansas learned to fiddle in 1928 and make fiddles watching her father George W. Brumley in the community of Alamo, Arkansas in 1932.

Hensley joined in a three-year effort with award-winning journalist and author Randall Franks, “Officer Randy Goode,” from TV’s “In the Heat of the Night,” to complete her memoir.

“It was an amazing experience to work with Violet weekly to refine the experiences from her life and compile a book which not only reflects what many rural families endured in America in the 20th century but what was most unique about Violet as she grew artistically, to find folk music stardom at nearly 50.”

He said Hensley raised a family of nine with her late husband Adren while he moved the family from town to town and state to state.

“With the advent of the folk music revival, Violet’s blossoming musical and fiddle-making talents, caught the attention of Grammy ® winner Jimmy Driftwood and the owners of Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri,” he said. “She joined the crafter’s cast at Silver Dollar City in 1967, becoming part of the City’s celebrities who used radio, television, and newspapers to invite visitors to the amusement park.”

Peter Herschend, Herschend Family Entertainment co-founder and owner, said Violet is one of the City’s most unique citizens.

“In the early years of Silver Dollar City, Violet, Don Richardson and I, along with an interesting assortment of the City’s colorful characters, would spend weeks on the road together…all devoted to promoting SDC,” he said. “I came to know Violet for the amazing wonderful woman that she is. She would amaze us with stories of field plowing with her mules. Then a new Violet would seem to appear when she would sit for an interview with some grizzled reporter (reporters who probably didn’t believe she was real), and she would proceed to win them over with her charm, her skills as an artist, and her talent as a musician.’

Sharing her talents in front of millions, Hensley became one of the first woman fiddlers to reach a large international audience appearing at the Smithsonian’s Festival of American Folklife, festivals, colleges, and on countless local, regional and national television and radio shows such as “The Beverly Hillbillies,” “Captain Kangaroo,” and “Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee.” according to Franks.

“I hope folks will enjoy getting a glimpse at what my near century on this world has been,” she said. “It’s been a hoot so far and what’s even better is while the book is written – the story continues. I hope folks will join me for what is yet to come, they can start by reading the book.”

The 258-page soft cover book from Peach Picked Publishing includes 145 photos.

Silver Dollar City Folk Music Legend Violet Hensley shares 98 years of experiences from a backwoods farm to international folk music fame.

Snake Oil, Superstars and Me by “Doc” Tommy Scott, Randall Franks and Shirley Noe Sweisz

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9781425991890_cover.inddSnake Oil, Superstars and Me 

$35




“Doc” Tommy Scott, Shirley Noe Sweisz and Randall Franks
A 700- page autobiography with more than 500 photos highlighting Ramblin’ “Doc” Tommy Scott’s 90 years in Film, Television, Stage and Radio and all the superstars that were part of his life, show and career. We will pay postage and handling.

 

Tommy Scott (1917-2013) liked to tell the story of the time he met David Letterman, when the famous TV show host stormed off the stage because his own guest overshadowed him with his musical ramblings. Known for his rambling and roaming, this Hillbilly, western, country and bluegrass artist could never plant his roots in one place, so for a while he traveled and played the guitar, and later, he traveled and sold a cure-all remedy known as snake oil. The  entrepreneur, artist, and actor tells about his lifetime of personal discovery in his memoir, “Snake Oil, Superstars, and Me”

Different segments of his life can be labeled and described by his various nicknames. When he was just Tommy, the son of a farmer in northern Georgia, he decided he needed to make a name for himself in the music world. He escaped to join the Medicine Show, a musical and acting caravan that traveled across the U.S. There, he answered to the name “Peanut,” taking on the role of a guitar-playing clown. Next he was “Texas Slim” on a radio show, where he infused comedy and music with his ventriloquist doll-partner, Luke McLuke making his way to star on the Grand Ole Opry in the 194os. And then he was “Rambling Tommy,” a guitar player and music composer. Later in life, he became “Doc Tommy Scott,” selling snake oil as a medicine man in traveling exhibits.

No matter what name he went by, he always loved Frankie, a southern model and starlet from his hometown. When she took his last name, she became his “right hand man,” smoothing over rough business deals in her graceful way. The two wandered together when Tommy played and entertained many musicians in their home. As a young couple, they starred in a traveling show group and appeared in Tommy Scott shows that were later transformed into syndicated films and television.

Although he went by many names and lived many lives, one part of Tommy always remains the same. He loved igniting a crowd and hearing the roaring applause. He didn’t particularly love the praise, but he loved the response. He claimed snake oil is a cure-all remedy in his traveling shows, but even if it isn’t medically proven, Tommy cures the audience with gales of laughter.

“If you think it will help then it will,” Scott’s mentor advised him once. “If you have the faith for it, the liniment will stop the pain while the herbal treatment sets you to running! One thing for sure, though, if you visit a medicine show, for an hour and a half you will leave your burdens behind.”