Southern Americana

Music lovers who favor Pop, Rock, Country, or Americana have undoubtedly heard songs produced, written, or performed by Jim Messina . Over the past six decades, this multi-talented artist has hundreds of songs to his credit.  Messina was born in California and spent his formative music years in Texas. He recorded his first album in the early 1960s. His foray into the mainstream music scene came a...

Lee Roy Parnell grew up in Texas, surrounded by Country Music royalty. His father was great friends with the legendary Texas Swing fiddle player and bandleader, Bob Wills. Parnell is also cousins with Americana singer/songwriter, Robert Earl Keen . As a teenager, Parnell began his music career as a drummer before picking up the guitar. The young musician spent a decade playing in the bars, dance h...

As a child growing up in North Carolina, Emily Scott Robinson  didn't necessarily envision herself as an Americana recording artist. One thing she knew is she wanted to help others.  The Furman University alum graduated with degrees in Spanish and History. Emily spent time as a social worker - a noble calling indeed - before embarking on a musical journey that has taken her down roads unimagined....

If you sat next to Mark Narmore on an airplane, chances are you wouldn't think he is an award-winning songwriter.  He also hails from Muscle Shoals royalty. That's the way this humble wordsmith prefers it. In the late 1980s, Mark was a student at the University of North Alabama. For pocket change,  he spun records at WLX in Lexington, AL. An aspiring songwriter, Mark honed his skills by working at...

Dino Villanueva grew up in Texas, playing music with his guitarist father and other musical influences. At the age of 13, Dino was the second lead guitarist in his dad's band. In 2001, while attending Texas Christian University, a group of friends needed a bass player and asked Dino to fill in. He immediately fell in love with the bass, and as they say, the rest is history. Today Dino is a session...

Sandy Gennaro grew up on the outskirts of New York City and today lives in Nashville, TN. In 1965 he purchased his first drum set for $383. As the saying goes, the rest is history. In a career that has spanned over 50 years, Sandy has toured with some of the biggest names in music such as Cyndi Lauper, Joan Jett, Bo Diddley, The Monkees, Michael Bolton, and others. But it was a random act of kindn...

As the past president of the Americana Music Association , Mark Moffatt has an incredible musical background. This Australian born producer and guitarist moved to London in the early 1970s and worked with many of Britan's hottest acts.  In 1996 Mark moved to Nashville, where he was director of A&R at Ten Ten until 2001. Mark has worked with such greats as Keith Urban, Tony Joe White, Deana Carter,...

Carey Bringle owns and operates Peg Leg Porker , a highly successful barbecue restaurant in Nashville's Gulch area.  When Nashville, Tennessee Mayor John Cooper proposed raising property taxes by 32% to keep all government employees on the payroll, Carey protested in an open letter that went viral.  I sat down with Carey in the Gulch on May 13, 2020, soon after restaurants were allowed to reopen i...

Jim Hagy is a third-generation restaurant owner. His grandfather started Hagy's Catfish Hotel on the banks of the Tennessee River near Shiloh Battlefield after hosting a fundraiser for Tennessee Governor Gordon Browning in the 1930s. After 80 years, Hagy's Catfish Hotel is still thriving. Some say they serve the finest fried catfish and hushpuppies on the planet. Jim and his wife Cheryl, also own...

Bob Dyan is an icon in Americana music. Now he's hoping to place his stamp on the craft whiskey industry by opening a distillery in Nashville. Heaven's Door was created when Dylan and spirts entrepreneur Marc Bushala (Angel's Envy Bourbon co-founder) connected after Bushala learned that Dylan registered a trademark application for "Bootleg Whiskey" in 2015. "We both wanted to create a collection o...

Dakota Shayne, aka Urban Cowboy USA , is a multi-dimensional artist. He writes and creates his unique brand of music he calls Ultramericana. It's also the name of a new collection of songs he produced and recorded in Nashville. A Rich Heritage  Born and raised in Michigan, Dakota's musical roots run deep. He's a descendant of Motown's Ruffin family (The Temptations), and his mom is Native American...

Layla Tucker's musical roots run deep. The daughter of one of Country Music's leading ladies, Tanya Tucker , and songwriter Jerry Laseter, this 20-year old firebrand, is creating her own musical path. You might think Layla would form her career by singing her mother's songs. It's not that she doesn't love the songs her mom produces and sings, rather she has her own style and wants the world to see...

Bruce Bouton is one of Nashville's top session and touring pedal steel guitarist. He has played on all of Garth Brooks's studio albums and with many of Country Music's elite artists. RELATED: Welcome to the Southern Americana Podcast After moving to Nashville from his home state of Virginia in 1978, Bruce joined Dottie West's band as pedal steel guitarist and has toured and recorded with such lege...

Recorded at Puckett's Grocery in Leiper's Fork, TN , welcome to the Southern Americana Podcast: Where we will Connect the South's music, people, and places. Our first episode with singer/songwriter Emily Elgin is up on Apple Podcast (formerly iTunes). The South is an amazing place. It's given birth to a multitude of remarkable music and amazing personalities. And as I've heard all of my life, the...

In our first episode of Southern Americana podcast, we visit with singer/songwriter and Oklahoma native, Emily Elgin . Southern Americana podcast is recorded on stage at the historic Puckett's Grocery in the heart of Leiper's Fork , TN. Listen to this episode on Apple Podcast . This working cowgirl ventured toward Nashville a few years ago, after a disappointing performance on American Idol. Next...

J.T. Hodges , a singer/songwriter/actor, and native Texan grew up in Fort Worth, spending most of his formative years in his dad's recording studio, Jim Hodges Buffalo Sound. His mom Marsha, an accomplished country singer who turned down record deals to raise her two sons, was also an inspiration to this talented artist.  RELATED: Southern Americana Podcast: A Conversation with Singer/Songwriter E...

Southern Americana host Paul Stanley gives an update on upcoming episodes and discusses how the Coronavirus has impacted not only the music and hospitality industry but the entire nation. So far, 10 episodes have been recorded with Americana and Country Music artists such as Bruce Bouton, the legendary Nashville session steel guitar player who has played on all of Garth Brooks albums. Other episod...

Welcome to Southern Americana  podcast: Where we connect the South's Music, People, and Places. I'm Paul Stanley, and I'll be your host for this podcast. I'm a freelance writer and publish much of my work about the South on my website, OneSouthernMan.com . I love the South - everything about it - especially the music and people, and I want to share it with you. Recorded at the historic Puckett's G...

Oklahoma native Emily Elgin arrived in Leiper's Fork, TN, a few years ago, after a disappointing performance on American Idol. This driven cowgirl, who is also a professional horse trainer, has embarked on a musical journey that will soon produce enormous dividends.  Emily released her first EP, This Woman , in September of 2019. Since then, she's been rehearsing and putting a band together. Not o...