Share America Foundation Names Wyatt Ellis as 2025 David Davis – Pearl and Floyd Franks Scholarship Recipient
Randall Franks (left) and Marty Hays (right) present Wyatt Ellis with his David Davis – Pearl and Floyd Franks Scholarship certificate at Buck’s Place Recording in Hendersonville, near Nashville. (Photo: Teresa Ellis/Share America Foundation)
The Share America Foundation, Inc. proudly announces 16-year-old singer and mandolinist Wyatt Ellis of East Tennessee as the 2025 recipient of the David Davis – Pearl and Floyd Franks Scholarship, honoring students who excel in Appalachian musical arts.
The late Bluegrass star David Davis is remembered with a scholarship.
This scholarship commemorates bluegrass legend David Davis, mandolinist and leader of the Warrior River Boys for 40 years, who passed away in September 2024.
Ellis, a former student of Davis, first met him at age 12 during Monroe Mandolin Camp. “David was an incredible High Lonesome singer with such passion,” Ellis recalled. “He saw my love for singing and playing mandolin and took pride in nurturing it. I hope to honor his legacy by carrying forward that same passion.”
Cindy Davis, David’s widow, personally congratulated Ellis.
“I wish you great success,” she said. “David would be so proud of how you’re carrying on with what he shared with you.”
Marty Hays, a 30-year veteran of the Warrior River Boys, presented the award alongside Randall Franks, representing the band’s support.
“David shared the traditional sounds of Bill Monroe and others with his unique style,” Hays said. “It brings joy to my heart to see a musician of Wyatt’s age, singing Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley songs on the Grand Ole Opry.”
Ellis, a multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer, debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Bluegrass chart with his album Happy Valley, featuring instrumentals written at age 11. A 2025 IBMA New Artist of the Year nominee, he began performing at the Grand Ole Opry at 13 and now leads the IBMA Momentum Award-nominated Wyatt Ellis Band. His latest single, “Country Boy Rock and Roll,” is finding wide appeal, and he is featured in the Country Music Hall of Fame’s American Currents exhibit.
Ellis will receive the scholarship funds upon enrolling in college. He and his band will appear at the Jerusalem Ridge Bluegrass Festival in Rosine, Ky. On Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025 on an evening when the festival will also share a memorial tribute to David Davis. For more information, visit https://jerusalemridgefestival.com/.
Davis and his troupe toured with Randall Franks’ country variety show, now in its 80th year – The Hollywood Hillbilly Jamboree, beginning in the 1990s.
“Wyatt’s talent is inspiring youth and adults to embrace traditional bluegrass,” said Randall Franks, Share America Foundation board member. “My late parents, Pearl and Floyd Franks, for whom this scholarship is also named, would be proud of how Wyatt is expanding the reach of Appalachian music.”
The scholarship is funded through donations, grants from organizations like the Kiwanis Club of Fort Oglethorpe and the Wes and Shirley Smith Charitable Endowment, special events, and projects like the Share America Foundation’s #1 Global Americana CD, Americana Youth of Southern Appalachia, available for donation at ShareAmericaFoundation.org, Amazon, and iTunes, and the upcoming A Zippedy Doodle Day: American Folk Songs.
Follow Share America Foundation, Wyatt Ellis, and Randall Franks on Facebook and other social media platforms.
About David Davis
David Davis, a mandolinist and vocalist, was a key figure in preserving the stylings of Bill Monroe and Appalachian roots music. Leading the Warrior River Boys since the 1980s, he earned acclaim through Rounder, Time Life, Wango, and Rebel recordings, including Didn’t He Ramble: Songs of Charlie Poole. A 2010 Alabama Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame inductee and 2014 National Old Time Country Music Hall of Fame honoree, Davis mentored countless musicians through performances and workshops.
About Wyatt Ellis
Wyatt Ellis, 16, is a rising bluegrass star from East Tennessee. A singer, mandolinist, and multi-instrumentalist, his debut album Happy Valley topped Billboard’s Bluegrass chart. A 2025 IBMA New Artist of the Year nominee, Ellis performs with his Wyatt Ellis Band and has appeared at the Grand Ole Opry and in the Country Music Hall of Fame’s American Currents exhibit. Learn more at https://WyattEllis.com.
About Randall Franks
Multiple music hall of fame inductee and Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame Legend Randall Franks, known as “Officer Randy Goode” from TV’s In the Heat of the Night, is an actor, musician, author, and Share America Foundation board member. A former collaborator with David Davis through both the Hollywood Hillbilly Jamboree and the Warrior River Boys, Franks is dedicated to preserving Appalachian music traditions. He currently hosts the TV show Appalachian Sounds. Visit RandallFranks.com for more information.
About Share America Foundation, Inc.
The Share America Foundation, Inc., based in Northwest Georgia, supports the preservation of Appalachian music through scholarships, events, and projects. Pearl and Floyd Franks are the late parents and former entertainment managers of Randall Franks. Its board includes Franks, Chairman Gary Knowles, Vice Chairman John Brinsfield, Secretary James Pelt, and Vice President Jerry Robinson, Sr. Learn more at ShareAmericaFoundation.org.
Lilly Anne Svrlinga performs at the Boxcar Pinion Memorial Bluegrass Festival in Chickamauga, Ga. (Share America Photo)
