Brandon Will, Karen Staley & Wil Nance perform at The Franklin Theatre on September 12!
About Brandon Will
Brandon has earned respect in Nashville as a songwriter. He has collaborated with many artists including John Schneider ‘ Bo from Dukes of Hazzard’ renowned Music Row producer David Huff, Grammy award-winning songwriter Bill Champlin, Hall of Fame songwriter and author Ralph Murphy, award winning and former Nashville staff writer, Multi #1 songwriter Michael Garvin ("Waiting For Tonight" J. Lopez), Multi #1 songwriter Doug Johnson ("Three Wooden Crosses" Randy. Travis) Anthony Smith, Ashe Underwood, The Warren Brothers, Earl Bud Lee, Bridgette Tatum, platinum-selling producer Anthony J. Resta, as well as many others. Brandon has been featured as a virtual performer opening James Taylor’s 2022 tour and many venues including The legendary Ryman in Nashville TN.
Has opened for Eddie Money, The Wailers, Keith Urban, Hootie And The Blowfish, Edwin McCain, Chris Young, Phil Vasser, The Frontmen and many more. Brandon is poised to be a top talent in the Nashville community.
About Karen Staley
Karen Staley's songs have been played on radio over 13 million times and counting. Those songs have collectively sold more than 20 million albums, singles and downloads. She’s enjoyed longevity with many timeless # 1 hits by artists (including Faith Hill - “Hey Baby Let’s Go to Vegas,” “Take Me As I Am” and Tracy Byrd’s award winning wedding classic “Keeper of the Stars”) as well as Seven Top 10 hits with BMI Millionaire Awards.
As a comedic performer and artist, Karen has had critically acclaimed major label albums like MCA's "Wildest Dreams" and Warner Bros "Fearless" as well as several indie country and gospel albums that she laughingly, says, “can be found at yard sales around the globe!”
She is a mainstay at the iconic Bluebird Cafe popularized by the hit TV show "Nashville" and, along with several other iconic singer/songwriter peers, was instrumental in creating the "In The Round" circle performance format. She appears in the documentary, “Bluebird - The Movie.”
As a background singer and guitarist Karen has toured with Reba, Faith, Patty Loveless, Terri Clark and Russ Taff as well as doing studio vocal work.
Her songs have been nominated for Grammy, CMA, ACM, GMA and International Bluegrass Awards.
Karen won ACM Song Of The Year with Tracy Byrd's now global wedding classic, "Keeper Of The Stars" which was also featured in CMT's 100 Greatest Country Love Songs Of All Time TV special.
In 2021 Karen, did a 38 state Patriotic tour where she performed traditional patriotic songs & songs she had written for the tour, including: "Arise USA", "Family Faith & Freedom", & "God Save The Cowboy Everywhere" nightly with the thrill of singing beneath Mount Rushmore that July 4th.
Karen's newest accolade is having her solo written love song to Tennessee, "I'll Leave My Heart In Tennessee," unanimously voted by both the TN House & Senate as the newest Official TN State Song in 2022. It is only the 11th State Song in Tennessee’s 227 yr history.
Karen occasionally plays clubs in the Nashville area and spends most of her time performing corporate shows and songwriting festivals all over America. You can keep up with her at www.KarenStaley.com
About Wil Nance
Wil Nance recently hit the top of R&R and Billboard with his Brad Paisley smash “She’s Everything”, which stayed at #1 for three weeks. In addition; he also wrote the Brad Paisley song “Hard To Say Hello”, which was on Brad’s Time Well Wasted bonus album sold in Target stores.
In 1999, Wil received a BMI award for “Round About Way,” a #1 hit single for George Strait. It has also landed on other George Strait albums, such as; George Strait’s Latest Greatest Hits, and George Strait’s 50 Number Ones … Over seven million sales and counting.
Then in 2004, Wil received another BMI Award for his Joe Nichols single “Cool To Be A Fool”.
Other recent cuts include; the Blue County single “I Get To”, Tracy Lawrence's “Your’e Why God Made Me” and “Just Like Her,”, Joe Nichols' “Honky Tonk Girl,” Lyric Street Artist Lisa Shaffer “I Know I Love You” and “Sittin’ On Top Of The World,” as well as other major and independent label cuts.
Some of his past songwriting credits include; “You Are”, a John Michael Montgomery single, “Next To Nothin,’” a Gene Watson single, cuts on Neal McCoy “Same Boots,” Craig Morgan “Everything’s A Thing,” “It’s Me,” “What You Do To Me,” Mchayes' “Mr. Right Now,” Diamond Rio “Big Time Lonesome,” and many others.
The Franklin Theatre Songwriters Series is made possible by Stable Reserve.