Nikki Mitchell’s Whiskey Bread Pudding was made with lots of love, a few pecans and a shot of whiskey. She served it in her Normandy River Café on the weekends. When you drove by the tiny idyllic town nestled beside the train tracks, you would never think that on top of that Café, Nikki was running Country Music Legend, Waylon Jennings’ business. She made deals with an apron around her waist and a pudding in the oven. When she sat down at your table to talk, that’s when you found out that she was doing all of this while battling Pancreatic Cancer.
Singer/Songwriter Jamey Johnson has made waves in the country music scene since 2002, co-writing and playing with country greats. Raised in a devout household, he spent part of his youth drinking beer and playing songs at night on the Montgomery tombstone of Hank Williams. After spending eight years as a member of the highly disciplined U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, he started performing in Nashville nightspots, which led to work singing songwriters’ demo tapes on Music Row. Johnson’s debut “The Dollar” was released in 2006 and his second album, “That Lonesome Song”, was certified platinum for 1 million in sales. His innovative 2010 double album, “The Guitar Song”, which debuted at No. 1 on the country album charts, received a gold certification. In 2012, he released a Grammy-nominated project honoring one of his heroes, “Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran”, that paired him with Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Ray Price, Elvis Costello, George Strait, Vince Gill and Merle Haggard. Johnson is also a Founding Artist and Honorary Board member for the Nikki Mitchell Foundation.
Country Music Hall of Famer Bobby Bare is a true country music giant and scored nearly five dozen top 40 hits from 1962 to 1983. With a vocal style that embraces both wry country wit and poignant folk storytelling, his literate, cross-cultural appeal has earned him the moniker “the Springsteen of Country”. With multiple Grammy nominations, Bare won for “Detroit City”. Bare is credited with introducing Waylon Jennings to RCA and has written with well-known writers such as Jack Clement, Harlan Howard, Billy Joe Shaver, Mickey Newbury, Tom T. Hall, Shel Silverstein, Baxter Taylor and Kris Kristofferson.
Louisiana born Tony Joe White is nothing short of a national musical treasure. White first gained fame mainly through his songwriting; 1969’s “Polk Salad Annie” was his only Top Ten hit, but artists such as Dusty Springfield (“Willie and Laura Mae Jones”), Brook Benton (“Rainy Night in Georgia”) and Elvis Presley (“For Ol’ Times Sake”; “I’ve Got a Thing About You Baby”) took his songs to the charts. White has always been a singular performer in his own right; the honeyed burr of his baritone, his alternately tough and tender vocal delivery and liberal use of his “Whomper Stomper” wah-wah pedal lend him a completely distinctive sound. Simply put, nobody, but nobody, sounds like Tony Joe White.
The Nikki Mitchell Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) pancreatic cancer organization. With their “Bridge of Wings” direct services program, they supply patients in four states the means to travel to potentially life-saving treatment, while connecting them to other organizations for further help. With their “Songs for Life” Research Fund, they support Early Detection, Immunology, and Targeted Treatments. To find out more about NMF, go to: