We're excited to announce the lineup for our March Songwriters Series event at The Franklin Theatre!
Get your tickets to see Monty Criswell, Karen Staley , and Shane Minor.
MONTY CRISWELL
Monty Criswell grew up on the coast of Alabama and began his professional songwriting career in 1993, after graduating from the University of Alabama and passing on an acceptance to law school.
Monty is a two-time Grammy nominee for Country Song of The Year (“I Saw God Today” and “Just Fishin’) and won the CMA Single of the Year award in 2008 (”I Saw God Today”). In 2021, his Eric Church song “Hell Of A View” won the Music Row Awards Song of the Year award and received a CMA nomination for both song and single of the year. He is also an ACM, Dove and Canadian CMA nominee. His songs have been featured on ESPN, ABC, The SEC Network, The Hallmark Channel and the hit tv series Yellowstone. Monty’s had over 300 songs recorded over the span of his 30-year career as a full-time songwriter, having at least one #1 in each of the last three decades.
His songs have been recorded by such artists as Jake Owen, Kenny Chesney, Justin Moore, Brantley Gilbert, Chris Young, Darius Rucker, Eric Church, George Strait, Michael Ray, Scotty McCreery, Frank Ray, Tim McGraw, Josh, Turner, Drake White, Parker McCollum, Dan Tyminski, Tim Menzies, Lainey Wilson and Trace Adkins among others. On the most recent Trace Adkins album, several of Monty’s songs include collaborations between Trace, Luke Bryan, Pit Bull, Keb Mo’, Stevie Wonder and Snoop Dogg.
Hits include "Tough" (Craig Morgan), "Like Jesus Does" (Eric Church), "I Saw God Today" (George Strait), "Just Fishin'" (Trace Adkins), "Five More Minutes" (Scotty McCreery), “Hell of a View” (Eric Church), Country’d Look Good On You (Frank Ray) and “Handle On You” (Parker McCollum) among others.
KAREN STALEY
Karen Staley was born in Weirton, WV and was raised in nearby rural Hookstown, PA in the Tri-State area of WV/PA & OH. She is a 30 year veteran of the Nashville music industry & has been involved in virtually every facet of the business from songwriting & performing to touring, recording & producing.
Karen’s #1 songs have been played on radio over 12 million times & counting. Those songs have collectively sold more than 20 million albums, singles, and downloads.
Karen is one of the original mainstays at the Bluebird Café, the now iconic listening room popularized by the ABC TV show Nashville. She is also one of the pioneers of the “In The Round” format for shows.
Her songs have not only been recorded by modern stars like Faith Hill, Reba, Trick Pony, Terri Clark & Tracy Byrd but also by icons & legends such as George Jones, Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, Conway Twitty & Brenda Lee.
As a guitar player & background singer Karen has toured with Faith, Reba, Patty Loveless, Terri Clark & Russ Taft. Karen is also a sought after studio session singer as well as demo producer.
Karen’s songs have been nominated for Dove, Grammy, & International Bluegrass Awards & Karen won the ACM Song of The Year award with Tracy Byrd's classic Keeper of the Stars which was also featured on CMT's 100 Greatest Country Love Songs of All Time TV special.
SHANE MINOR
If the best songs come from life's own experiences, Shane Minor has a lot to pull from.
On the road that led him to hit songwriting he grew up as a working cowboy’s son and a preacher’s grandson. He started singing in church at 4 years old and around the same age learned to ride horses and started rodeo'n. After a bad rodeo injury at 20 years old Shane rode the brakes for a while unable to heal up. He moved in with his southern Oklahoma grandparents who pastored a church. Shane credits his tenacity and god-fearing spirit to his grandparents. Especially his grandmother Elsie Earp who is the great niece of legendary lawman, Wyatt Earp.
In his teenage years and college years Shane traveled most of California and Oklahoma singing in local honky tonks and dives. He would sit in with complete strangers and local bands and started building up a grass roots following. Not making enough money to support himself he followed the Earp blue line in his blood. By an accidental twist of fate, he took a job with the Los Angeles police dept as a police officer. Shane worked in watts in south central Los Angeles. He was in the 92 Rodney King riots. While working with the LAPD Shane would still sing around the greater LA area. That’s where he and CMA award winning producer Dann Huff met. Dann had Shane come to Nashville for label meetings. On the trip, Shane was signed by Mercury Records and ended his 9 years stint with the LAPD.
Shane Minor's record was released in 1999. Slave to the Habit, his first single, went top 10 on the country Billboard charts. He was Shania Twain’s opening act on the 1 1/2-year stadium tour. His video for Slave to the Habit won him VH1/MTV awards which were some of the first given to country artists. After his journey with Mercury Records, Shane turned down making another record to pursue his love, writing songs. He knows his way around the Billboard charts. He’s spent time there with his own songs as an artist and a writer. Shane is currently one of UMPG Nashville’s most prestigious writers. He not only writes but mentors newly signed artists. He is also an award-winning member of BMI Nashville.
If you listen to country radio you will hear a Shane Minor song being sung by a big major artist and the new rising stars as well.
Thank you to our Event Sponsor:
Stable Reserve
Check them out at 412 Main St, Franklin, TN 37064!