Variety on Main at the Franklin Theatre is a captivating blend of entertainment that transcends generations. This vaudeville-style show seamlessly weaves together performances from seasoned artists and up-and-coming talents. It's a celebration of talent, tradition, and the vibrant spirit of community, all under the historic charm of the Franklin Theatre.
THE PRESENTERS
About Mandy Barnett:
www.mandybarnett.com
Mandy Barnett, a Nashville treasure and Grand Ole Opry member, has left an indelible mark on the country music scene. Renowned for her soulful voice and versatile talent, Mandy rose to prominence as the original star of "Always... Patsy Cline" at the Ryman Auditorium. A veteran performer, she has garnered critical acclaim for her performances and recordings. Hailing from Crossville, Mandy's roots run deep, she stands as a respected figure and a favorite among critics. Whether captivating audiences with her Opry performances or exploring diverse musical landscapes, Mandy Barnett continues to shine as a luminary in the world of country music.
About Monica Ramey:
www.monicaramey.com
"Now that the trend of aging rockers cutting albums of show tunes and standards seems thankfully to have run its course, we're back to vocalists with a real feel for and understanding of the jazz tradition doing them justice. Nashville's Monica Ramey is a shining example. Her delivery offers resourceful, soaring and engaging interpretations of material from The Great American Songbook." -Ron Wynn, Nashville Scene Monica is a native of Francesville, one of Indiana’s smallest towns. She moved to Nashville in 2000 after college, studying under some of the nation’s finest jazz musicians. Ramey is best known for her longstanding musical relationship with jazz pianist Beegie Adair. Together, they appeared on and produced multiple recordings and played sold out jazz clubs across the US, most often Birdland Jazz Club in New York.
THE GUESTS
About Carlene Carter:
www.carlenecarter.net
Carlene Carter is an American country music singer and songwriter. She is the daughter of June Carter Cash and her first husband, Carl Smith. She has recorded 12 albums and has released more than 20 singles, including three number three-peaking hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. Carlene Carter's earliest released solo recording was "Friendly Gates", a track included on her stepfather Johnny Cash's 1974 album The Junkie and the Juicehead Minus Me. In 1987, Carter joined with the singing trio The Carter Sisters, consisting of her mother June Carter Cash and June's sisters Helen and Anita Carter. Together, they formed a revived version of The Carter Family, and were featured on a 1987 television episode of Austin City Limits along with Johnny Cash. In 2014, she released her 10th studio album Carter Girl for Rounder Records. The album features 12 tracks written or co-written by members of the Carter Family: 10 pre-existing songs and two new originals. Carter Girl received universal acclaim and includes collaborations with Elizabeth Cook, Willie Nelson, Vince Gill, Kris Kristofferson, and Carter Family members Lorrie Carter Bennett, Helen Carter, Anita Carter, June Carter Cash, and Johnny Cash. Carter was the opening act on John Mellencamp's 80-date Plain Spoken tour in 2015. Additionally, Carter collaborated extensively with Mellencamp on his 2017 album Sad Clowns & Hillbillies, providing vocals on five tracks, as well as writing one ("Damascus Road") and co-writing another ("Indigo Sunset").
About Becky Isaacs Bowman:
Becky Isaacs Bowman is the guitar player and vocalist for The Isaacs and an accomplished songwriter in her own right. Becky started writing songs as a teenager and earned her first Number One with “Stand Still.” Other hits, co-written with sister Sonya include “Heroes,” “Waiting in the Water,” “Your Cries Have Awoken The Master,” and “A Miracle Today.” Her vocals can be heard in the background on projects by Paul Simon, Alabama, Dolly Parton, Don Williams, Merle Haggard, Trace Adkins, Russ Taff, and Jason Crabb. Becky is married to singer/musician/minister John Bowman. They have two children Levi and Jakobi.
About Gretchen Peters:
gretchenpeters.com
For over two decades, Gretchen Peters has been one of Nashville’s most beloved and respected artists. “If Peters never delivers another tune as achingly beautiful as ‘On A Bus To St. Cloud,'” People Magazine wrote, “she has already earned herself a spot among country’s upper echelon of contemporary composers.” Inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in October 2014 by singer-songwriter Rodney Crowell, who called her “both a songwriter and a poet (who) sings as beautifully as she writes,” and said her song “The Matador”, “moved me so greatly, I cried from the soles of my feet”, Peters has accumulated accolades as a songwriter for artists as diverse as Etta James, Bonnie Raitt, The Neville Brothers, Patty Loveless, George Strait, Bryan Adams and Faith Hill. Her song “Independence Day”, recorded by Martina McBride, won a CMA Song of the Year award in 1995. She has been nominated for 2 Grammys (“Independence Day”/Martina McBride, “You Don’t Even Know Who I Am”/Patty Loveless), a Golden Globe (“Here I Am”/ Bryan Adams), and numerous other awards. Her 2015 album, Blackbirds was awarded International Album of the Year and Song of the Year by the UK Americana Association. In 2015, The Telegraph named her one of the greatest 60 female singer-songwriters of all time. In 2021 she was awarded The Poets Award by the Academy of Country Music. Peters’ latest release is The Show: Live from the UK, recorded while on tour in the UK in 2019 with her band and an all-female Scottish string quartet.
About Blue Mother Tupelo:
www.bluemothertupelo.com
Rising up from the bluffs of Memphis and the mountains of east Tennessee, through the Mississippi Delta, Nashville, & now Como, MS, Blue Mother Tupelo oozes a deep kind of blue southern soul & roots rock sound that's been described as truly Americana. They bring a seasoned edge to American Roots Rock. BMT songs & albums have charted #5 in Americana and #2 in Euro-Americana Radio, as well as having reached the U.S. Top 40 Country Charts. You may have heard their music in some movies & across the airwaves. Often acoustic duo & sometimes band electrified, audiences can experience an authentic connection & regard for roots. It feels like they’ve been refreshingly with you forever, like all your favorites do. Blue Mother Tupelo's new album, TAKE ME WITH YOU, rides the cusp of Rock ’n’ Roll, Country Rock, Hill Country Blues, & Ballad. It is the 7th full length album of their career, released Summer of 2023. Chosen 2022 Music Artist of the Year by The Southland Music Line, the married songwriting & recording artist team has a natural way of sharing their musical spirit in a celebration of real-life that can be raucous & tender.
THE MAINSTAYS
About Pat Coil:
www.patcoil.com
Pat is an accomplished pianist, composer, producer, arranger, teacher, and highly respected studio musician. His credits span the musical spectrum of jazz, R&B, pop, country and gospel. His touring and recording credits include Michael McDonald, Carmen McRae, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Woody Herman, Larry Carlton, Natalie Cole, Nancy Wilson,Trisha Yearwood, George Strait, Peter Cetera, Barry Manilow, Kenny Rogers, Travis Tritt and Olivia Newton John. Additionally, Pat has taught jazz piano, improvisation and combos at MTSU and served at Associate Professor of Jazz Studies at the renowned University of North Texas. We’re honored to have Pat at our Musical Director for Variety on Main. The Mainstays include Brian Allen (bass), Larry Aberman (drums) and Sam Hunter (guitar).
About Brian Allen:
www.brianallenonbass.com
Hailing from Columbus, Indiana, Brian started playing the bass at age eleven. His playing won him several awards throughout high school, including the prestigious Louis Armstrong Jazz award. Brian has toured and recorded with a diverse range of artists, including The Oak Ridge Boys, Brandi Carlisle, Lori Mckenna, Jason Isbell, Keb Mo, Christopher Cross, Miranda Lambert, Sturgill Simpson, Zac Brown, Jamey Johnson, Shooter Jennings, Dolly Parton, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Sara Bareilles, John Scofield, Natalie Cole, Four Tops and the Temptations. Brian has taught at the world famous Musicians Institute (MI) and private lessons and live playing workshops.He plays all types of basses, from a standard four string to a six string fretted and fretless. He also plays upright bass and cello.
About Larry Aberman:
www.larryaberman.com
Larry Aberman is a drummer whose career has taken him from the stage of Avery Fisher Hall as a percussion soloist with the NY Philharmonic to the studios of Memphis to record the Grammy winning CD "Family Style" with Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan. A graduate of The Eastman School of Music, Larry has recorded and toured with artists like Wynton Marsalis, David Lee Roth, Lionel Richie, Dianne Reeves, John Hiatt, Ben Harper, Aaron Neville, Paul Williams, Joe Sample, Marcus Miller and Foreigner, just to name a few. Larry worked in Las Vegas with Cirque du Soleil’s “Zumanity” at the New York New York Hotel and Casino. He is an adjunct professor of applied drum set at UNLV as well as a sub percussionist for the Las Vegas Philharmonic. He continues to compose and record drums remotely via the web for numerous album, TV and film projects.
About Sam Hunter:
www.sammusicsongs.com
Sam Hunter is a Nashville based singer, songwriter, session and producer. The multi-talented musician’s writing credits include hits for Ronnie Milsap and Willie Nelson and for TV shows for CMT and Fox. Additionally, Sam has written songs for movies like “Bad Roomies”, “The Confirmation” and “Dial a Prayer". His session credits include Willie Nelson, George Strait, Ronnie Milsap, Mandy Barnett, , Bob Babbitt, Amy Grant, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Hayden Panettiere, Jewel and many others.