Southern Americana

Mike Ragsdale and his family moved from Birmingham, Alabama, to Florida's 30a area in 2006. Within a few years, Mike created The 30A Company and 30a.com , one of the nation's most popular lifestyle brands. The light blue and yellow 30A stickers and their beer and wines labels are now seen throughout the country. Mike discusses his path to Florida's Emerald Coast and the bumps and bruises he endure...

Devon Allman has quickly established himself as one of Southern Rock's best frontmen. He began his musical journey as a teenager, meeting his dad, the legendary southern rocker Greg Allman, at 16. Along with Duane Betts, the son of Allman Brothers band member Dickey Betts, they formed The Allman Betts Band . The group's soulful, blues-based sound is reminiscent of their father's yet contains an or...

Kameron Marlowe grew up in Kannapolis, North Carolina. His love for music evolved while listening to talented country vocalists such as Ronnie Dunn and Travis Tritt. Both had a considerable influence on the singer's style and voice inflections. During his formative teen years, he started singing and writing songs and playing in local bands. From The Voice to Nashville, Kameron Marlowe will be play...

Country music recording artist Alex Hall grew up in Gainesville, Georgia. At the tender age of five, Alex wanted to learn to play guitar after hearing Elvis Presley's records. Unfortunately, his guitar instructor informed his parents that since he didn't know how to read, learning the instrument was useless. Fortunately, Alex resumed playing several years later and is writing and performing some a...

Shelly Fairchild has solidified herself in the Nashville songwriting community, yet the Jackson, Mississippi native has endured her share of ups and downs.  Her debut album, Ride, containing the song "You Don't Lie Here Anymore," introduced fans to her vocal acumen. Outside of her own songwriting and recording, Shelly has sung background vocals for superstars such as Jason Aldean, Martina McBride,...

CJ Solar pushes the boundaries of music by combining Southern rock with country, mixed with a bit of the Delta blues.  A Cajun at heart, this Louisana native has caught the attention of industry insiders and fans after arriving in Nashville. CJ's songwriting credits include cuts by Morgan Wallen, Jerrod Niemann, and others. CJ opened for Lynyrd Skynyrd on select dates during their "Last of the Str...

Nashville songwriters Aimee Mayo and Chris Lindsey are married, and both have penned chart-topping hits together and separately. Aimee's recently released memoir, Talking to the Sky , is a raw page-turner full of stories that will keep you crying and laughing. Listen to our conversation as they discuss songwriting and the challenges of writing a candid memoir. 

Carol Chase is a backup vocalist for Lynyrd Skynrd and has been a band member since 1996. In addition to touring with this legendary group, Carol is a singer-songwriter and records her own material.  Her latest project, Back to the Well , is available on her website at carolchasemusic.com .

Trevor Finlay grew up in Ottawa, Ontario, and began playing guitar as a child. For the last 30 years, Trevor has made his living as a professional musician, writing such hit songs as "Send My Mail to Nashville." Until the COVID pandemic temporarily put the brakes on live music, Trevor played upwards of 300 dates a year. With David Lee Roth's looks, Eddie Van Halen's playing style, highlighted with...

Alison Prestwood grew up in Alabama with music in her soul. The multi-instrumentalist has played and recorded with many of Country and Americana's most successful and influential artists.  A four-time nominee for Bass Player of the Year by the Academy of Country Music, Alison has toured and played with Rodney Crowell, Patty Loveless, and Olivia Newton-John. Besides playing on-stage with Trisha Yea...

Private Chef Josh Champion of Take It Personal Chef Service grew up in rural Western Kentucky hunting and fishing.  After completing his culinary education at Le Cordon Bleu in Orlando, FL, Chef Josh began his career as an Executive Sous Chef, working at several venues in Louisville, KY, and Nashville, TN. He catered for multiple private events for music, sports, and film industry professionals. ...

When Anthony Smith moved from East Tennessee to Nashville in the mid-1990s, he didn't realize a golden era of country music ended. However, Anthony is leaving his mark on a new era in Nashville because of his songwriting chops.  Anthony's songwriting credits include "Run" and "Cowboy's Like Us," by George Strait, "Chrome" and "I'm Tryin," by Trace Adkins, "I'm Already There" by Lonestar, as well a...

Canadian Cory Marks grew up listening to everything from heavy metal to outlaw country music. Both genres can be heard in his own brand of Americana.   Growing up, Cory excelled playing hockey and won a spot on the Royal Military College team. If he wasn't going to make it as a pro hockey player, his backup plan was to fly fighter jets.  Cory played music during his college years, but only for him...

Fifteen-year-old Macy Fowler is used to overcoming odds . After all, she's a starting linebacker for the freshman football team at Ravenwood High School in Brentwood, TN. In late fall Macy's world was rocked when she was diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma cancer. Macy's dad, former Tennessee Titan and New York Jets linebacker, Ryan Fowler, is also accustomed to overcoming the odds compete on the gridi...

Jason Charles Miller has come full circle. Formerly the lead singer and front man for the metal band, Godhead, Miller finally returned to Southern Rock and Americana roots.  When the Virginia native was expanding his songwriting chops, he hooked up with great Nashville-based writers such as the late Randall Clay. One of their songs, "Uncountry," describes Miller's individual outlaw heritage.   Mil...

Hank Williams is one of country music's most iconic names. Yet the award-winning Hank Williams who master engineered hits by top artists such as Glen Campbell, Etta James, George Strait, Charlie Daniels, Carrie Underwood, Garth Brooks, Lee Ann Womack, Hank Williams, Jr., Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Taylor Swift, Darius Rucker, and Michael W. Smith among others, is relatively unknown outside of Na...

Rendy Lovelady has spent decades managing artists and producing music events. His latest endeavor is the Gulf Coast Jam , held annually in Panama City Beach, Florida. This year's event featuring Luke Bryan, Brad Paisley, and the legendary Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd is rescheduled for March 25-26, 2021. Listen as Rendy discusses the complexity of managing large concerts and artists. 

John Berry  recorded 20 songs that hit the country music charts in the 1990s and early 2000s, including three that captured the top spot on both Billboard and Radio & Records. During his successful climb, John endured the first of two major health scares in the mid-90s. The second came in January of 2019 when he was diagnosed with throat cancer. After 35 successful treatments, John returned to mak...

If an artist can weave a new and much-needed sound into country music, it might be Curt Chambers . The Philidelphia native developed his unique guitar and vocal sound growing up in the city's urban churches. In fact, Chambers wasn't permitted to listen to secular music until his teens. I literally stumbled upon Curt while researching new artists. A couple of weeks later, we sat down behind Moo Cou...

Deb Van Pelt , a certified wine sommelier at Belle Meade Winery in Nashville, TN, joined me for a wine tasting excursion in Leiper's Fork, TN. We tasted four wines paired with three dishes from 1892 Restaurant and one from Historic Puckett's restaurant and music venue . "Delicious" and "yum" are the first two words that come to mind. Most everyone loves wine, especially me. And because there are s...

John Cowan is one of bluegrass, country, and rock's finest tenor vocalist. Fortunately for New Grass Revival , The Doobie Brothers , and many others, he's a damn fine bass guitarist too! Cowan, along with other New Grass members, will be officially inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame on October 1 in a previously taped ceremony from the stage of the historic Ryman Auditorium. It's an honor he...

Robert St. John is indeed a renaissance man, especially when restaurants and food are involved.  When I mentioned food during a recent visit to Southern Mississippi, two close friends immediately said I should interview Robert St. John. I felt terrible that I never heard of the man who has been named Mississippi Magainze 's Best Chef, not once, but three times!  I finally caught up with him during...

Derrek Phillips grew up in the bay area of San Francisco, CA, in a home filled with music of all genres. Some of his earliest memories are playing percussion on whatever pot or pan he found in the kitchen to the records of Sly and the Family Stone, Metallica, and Digital Underground.  Derrek met his wife at a local bay-area high school band competition while she was playing trombone. His interest...

In the second of this two-part episode, I continue my discussion with country music singer-songwriter, Darryl Worley .  Darryl explains why he and his wife Kimberly decided to relocate from the Nashville area back to Hardin County, TN. Family, as well as the opportunity for his daughter Savannah to grow up in an area where friends and neighbors support each other, was an essential factor. Darryl b...

Darryl Worley topped the charts with three #1 hits, "Have You Forgotten, "I Miss My Friend," and "Awful, Beautiful Life," and recorded a string of top 20 country music hits. It all began in Hardin County, TN, where his musical talent was forged on his family's front porch.  Worley's blue-collar roots ring true in his songs and stories. His dad worked at the area paper mill before being ordained as...