Variety on Main at the Franklin Theatre is a captivating blend of entertainment that transcends generations. This variety show seamlessly weaves together performances from seasoned artists and up-and-coming talents from across genres. It's a celebration of talent, tradition, and the vibrant spirit of community, all under the historic charm of the Franklin Theatre.
May's lineup includes Lynnmarie & E3, Charlie McCoy, The Kody Norris Show, Victoria Shaw, Alicia Witt, and featuring Pat Coil and The Mainstays.
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
LynnMarie & E3: www.lynnmarie.net Nashville artist, accordion player, and five-time Grammy nominee LynnMarie has joined forces with Eddie Rodick III to create Nashville’s newest group. Fusing the music of their Eastern European roots with Americana, Rock, Country and whatever else inspires them, LynnMarie & E3 brings forth new music from two very seasoned performers. Dubbed “The Dixie Chick of the Accordion” by Jay Leno, the squeeze box player and vocalist, and Polka Hall of Fame inductee, and the first female artist ever to win a Grammy nod for Best Polka Album, has now, partnered with Award-winning musician (and husband) Eddie Rodick III, to create LynnMarie & E3. Together, along with David Vaughan on drums and Will Mandell on bass guitar, this fresh new group is inspiring audiences with their quick banter and undeniable talent. Throughout her successful career spanning three decades, LynnMarie has gained some great praise. Austin O’Connor of The Sun, a newspaper based in Lowell, Massachusetts where LynnMarie played the National Folk Festival, called her “undoubtedly the sexiest player ever to strap on an accordion!” Rolling Stone chimed in: “LynnMarie is one soulful accordion diva.” Eddie Rodick III has been playing music since he was four years old, becoming a child prodigy on the drums, and then embracing every instrument he could get his hands on. He became one of the most sought-after regional musicians, before moving to Nashville in 2018. Together with their band they have averaged 50-100 dates a year, performed at the Bethlehem Music Festival, the CMA Fan Fair and South By Southwest. They have played every major Oktoberfest across the county and toured overseas, performing at the Country & Trucker Festival in Interlaken Switzerland, in Slovenia and The Netherlands. In the three decades that she has been making music, LynnMarie has recorded 13 strong, independent and under the radar albums, consisting mostly of folk music, with a bit of Cajun, Tex-Mex and country sprinkled in. But now, she is turning the tables on her own talent. “My ethnic music is what got me to the party” she laughs, “but there’s always been a plethora of other songs and musical styles inside of me that have wanted to come out, which is why we’ve created LynnMarie & E3. LynnMarie has written and collaborated with such greats as Vince Gill, Chet Atkins, Dobie Gray, Hal Ketchum, Riders in the Sky, Tom Douglas (The House That Built Me) and Graham Russell of Air Supply. Many of those songs are now going to be able to be heard thanks to LynnMarie & E3.
About Charlie McCoy: www.charliemccoy.com There are numerous super-session musicians in Nashville, but very few with the longevity of Charlie McCoy. In addition to being a fixture in Nashville studios for 60 years and has recorded 44 solo albums. Charlie McCoy began working sessions in the early 60s, one of the first being “Candy Man” by Roy Orbison. Shortly after, Charlie became one of the in-demand session players in Nashville. His session credits are literally a who’s who of country music and is credited to more than 14,000 sessions to date. He’s predominately known as a harmonica player, but his musical prowess encompasses other instruments including guitar, bass, mallet percussion, (vibes, marimba, bells, etc.), keyboards, and various wind instruments. In addition to country sessions, Charlie was a mainstay on Elvis Presley recordings both in Nashville and Los Angeles, along with several record dates with Bob Dylan and Simon and Garfunkle’s iconic record “The Boxer”. He won the Grammy in 1972 for his album, “The Real McCoy”. He won CMA’s “Instrumentalist Of The Year” two times and the Academy Of Country Music’s “Specialty Instrument Award” seven times. He’s had 10 country chart singles and 14 charted albums. Among his highest honors, Charlie is a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He is a member of the International Musician’s Hall Of Fame and the West Virginia Music Hall Of Fame an honorary degree of Doctor of Musical Arts from the West Virginia University School of Music. In October, 2009, Charlie was inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame along with Roy Clark and Barbara Mandrell. He served as the music director for eighteen years for the syndicated television series, “Hee Haw” and a music director for other television shows including “The Colgate Country Showdown” and “The Arthritis Telethon”. He was in the house band for the TNN show “Music City Tonight” with Crook and Chase.
About The Kody Norris Show: www.thekodynorrisshow.com Whatever you do, don’t call The Kody Norris Show ‘retro.’ Because while the reigning SPBGMA Entertainers of the Year are known for the rhinestones that shine from their lapels and the fringe that hangs from their collars seem to conjure up memories of times gone by, The Kody Norris Show are very much directing their gaze forever forward. Now, more than ever before. The talented group, made up of frontman Kody Norris, Josiah Tyree, Mary Rachel Nalley-Norris, and Charlie Lowman, finds themselves with a growing legion of fans craving the comfort that comes from their retro look, but equally craving dynamic instrumentation and thought-provoking lyrics – all of which can be heard throughout their epic new album Rhinestone Revival. “There is a whole chapter of country music that's just kind of faded away,” The Kody Norris Show’s frontman once said. “I believe The Kody Norris Show has been instrumental in bringing back some of that nostalgia and some of that classic look that country music and bluegrass music used to have.” The foundations of the electrifying four-piece band can be found within the roots of Kody Norris himself, a once inquisitive youngster from Mountain City, Tennessee who would spend hours sitting in the passenger seat of his Uncle Jack’s Chevrolet El Camino listening to the entirety of The Stanley Brothers 16 Greatest Hits tape, wondering if he would ever be able to match the sweet harmonies coming through the speakers. It was those very harmonies that Norris also would recognize wavering through the rafters of the Baptist church he attended as a kid. There was a bluegrass quartet that would play in the Free Will Baptist Church, and soon Norris became infatuated with the music that could materialize from a banjo and a guitar. So, at nine years old, he picked up the mandolin. And he never put it down. It was a similar love affair of music for Mary Rachel Nalley-Norris, who started playing classical violin in the fourth grade, but by the fifth grade, she knew it wasn’t for her. Instead, in a quest to differentiate herself from her musical counterparts in her grade school orchestra, she took up the fiddle. She began playing the festival circuit alongside the likes of the legendary Larry Sparks and the Lonesome Ramblers and soon became one of the most dynamic females on those festival stages. It was on that stage she eventually met her husband Kody, who had already gone on to play alongside the likes of Ralph Stanley, Ralph Stanley II, and Joe Isaacs throughout his already impressive career. In 2017, banjo extraordinaire Josiah Tyree signed on with The Kody Norris Show, and soon his old-time clawhammer style fit right into the bluegrass style that the band was becoming known for across the country. And when bass player Charlie Lowman joined in on the fun, armed with a giddiness and love for the music that he plays that soon became infectious, The Kody Norris Show as we now know it was complete. It was musical magic at its finest. It’s this easy-going nature that became downright illuminated on 2017’s When I Get the Money Made, which was named Bluegrass Album of the Year by the National Traditional Country Music Association. The Kody Norris Show followed it up with 2019’s All Suited Up, which debuted at #7 on the Billboard charts. Now playing over 100 dates a year across the country and around the world, The Kody Norris Show have been part of the University of Chicago Folk Festival and are part of two weekly programs on the acclaimed RFD-TV's network, The Cumberland Highlanders Show and The Bluegrass Trail. But with the release of Rhinestone Revival comes a feeling that listeners have just begun to witness The Kody Norris Show’s very own revival, as the band finds themselves sprinkling their iconic rhinestones on a few different music genres to solidify their place on the musical landscape. And the fans can’t get enough. In fact, it’s those fans that have raised The Kody Norris Show to a place in which they stand today, a place where the four-piece, multi-instrumentalist, bluegrass band are quickly becoming four of the most epic entertainers of our time. Add that to the songwriting displayed on the Kody Norris-penned “Baltimore I’m Leaving,” “Fiddler’s Rock,” “Please Tell Me Why,” and the infectious “Gotta Get My Baby Back” on Rhinestone Revival, and there is no doubt that The Kody Norris Show is as current as ever. They ain’t retro. They have something different. They have something uniquely theirs. They have something that makes them stand out. “We want people to know who we are,” Norris once said. And they will.
About Victoria Shaw: www.victoriashaw.com If you've listened to music at all during the past twenty years – and honestly, who hasn't? – chances are Victoria Shaw's talent has touched you. The Nashville-based, New York-born, Los Angeles-raised triple threat has either written or produced some of music's most memorable tunes and performed on the world's biggest stages. Whether you're talking about Garth Brooks, Ricky Martin, or Lady Antebellum, Victoria's Midas touch has helped craft music that makes memories. Victoria's #1 compositions include Garth Brooks "THE RIVER" and "SHE'S EVERY WOMAN," Ricky Martin's "SO'LO QUIERO AMARTE," Doug Stone's "TOO BUSY BEING IN LOVE," Jim Brickman's "SENDING YOU A LITTLE CHRISTMAS" and "I LOVE THE WAY YOU LOVE YOU ME," recorded by John Michael Montgomery and Boyzone. Other hits include Ricky Martin and Christina Aguilera's duet "NOBODY WANTS TO BE LONELY" and the Garth Brooks/Trisha Yearwood duet "WHERE YOUR ROAD LEADS." Shaw is the recipient of an ACM award for Song of the Year, two daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Original Song, 4 Emmy nominations and numerous ASCAP and SESAC awards. She has performed throughout the world, including opening for Garth Brooks in Central Park, playing the London Palladium, and touring with her friend and frequent collaborator Jim Brickman. In 1998, Victoria wrote "ONE HEART AT A TIME" to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Shaw recruited her friends Garth Brooks, Billy Dean, Olivia Newton John, Neal McCoy, Bryan White, Michael McDonald, and Faith Hill to make sure the song's powerful message was heard. To date, "ONE HEART A TIME" has sold over 300,000 copies. Victoria donated 100% of her royalties to the CF Foundation and continues to give her time and talent for the CF community performing every year at their annual Ultimate Golf Extravaganza. In addition to writing and performing, Shaw is also a music producer including co-producing Lady Antebellum's debut album for which Shaw won a 2009 CMA award for Single of the Year, "I RUN TO YOU." Other production credits include Jim Brickman, Richie McDonald, Robin Meade (of Headline News) for Target exclusives, and The Scott Brothers (aka THE PROPERTY BROTHERS). Victoria is currently in the studio producing and writing with up and coming country artist, Cooper Alan. In the fall of 2019 Shaw debuted her own series, Songwriters Under the Covers with Victoria Shaw, on the ALLARTS channel and streaming platform (check local listings or allarts.org). ALLARTS is the multimedia arts platform launched earlier this year by WNET (parent company of New York's PBS station THIRTEEN and WLIV21 and operator of NJTV). The series was created in collaboration with Victoria and Brighton Entertainment. In each episode, top-selling songwriters share the little-known stores behind their hit songs along with an intimate live acoustic performance on stage. The episodes were filmed at Birdland Theater & The Iridium in New York City, where Shaw has been presenting this style of "songwriters in the round" performances for the past 15 years. Victoria's passion is music and "trying to save the world," but the loves of her life are her daughters, Ruby and Ava.
About Alicia Witt: www.aliciawittmusic.com Actor and Billboard Top 30 charting singer-songwriter Alicia Witt has played her piano-driven pop-rock music all over the world, including at the renowned Grand Ole Opry. She appeared in 2023 on Fox’s The Masked Singer, winning her first episode as Dandelion. Witt’s newest EP, Witness, came out in 2023; she released The Conduit in Fall 2021, which she co-produced, including single Chasing Shadows which spent 5 weeks on the Billboard Top 30 AC Radio chart. Previous releases include 15000 Days, produced by Grammy award-winning producer Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Norah Jones , Dawes) and the Ben Folds produced Revisionary History, hailed by Nashville Scene as “a piano-pop gem that sounds by turns like “Grey Seal”-era Elton John ; an alt-universe Fiona Apple and a film-noir chanteuse notching her nights in cigarette burns on the fallboard.” Also known for her decades-long career as a prolific TV/film actress (beginning with David Lynch's 'Dune' at the age of 7), Alicia’s music has been featured in numerous movies. Alicia was most recently seen in Netflix’s hit I Care A Lot, starring Rosamund Pike, and leading the cast of Modern Persuasion. She will next be seen in movie theaters worldwide in the feature Longlegs opposite Nicolas Cage, due out in 2024. Other credits include Orange Is The New Black, The Walking Dead, ABC’s Nashville, Two Weeks Notice, Mr Holland’s Opus, The Sopranos, Cybill, and Urban Legend. 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.
Proud Partner of Variety on Main:
