Americana Youth Concert comes to Ringgold May 3
The Share America Foundation will host an Americana Youth Concert in Ringgold May 3.
The fundraising event will mark the upcoming release of its new CD, “Americana Youth of Southern Appalachia,” with performances by Colton Brown, Emerald Butler, Caleb Lewis, Wally O’donald, Logan Puryear and Ryan Stinson.
The fundraiser concert will be held Friday, May 3, at 7:30 p.m. at the Ringgold’s Patriot Hall, 320 Emberson Street in Ringgold. Randall Franks from TV’S “In the Heat of the Night” will emcee.
“We are excited to move to the next phase in our great recording project, sharing selections from it with listeners,” said producer Randall Franks. “This concert begins the process of making the CD available to the public and sharing these wonderful performances by these talented youth with radio stations around the country as we release selections during the coming months. The concert performers will share their selection from the album along with some other favorite tunes.”
Brown, 16, plays piano, harmonica and drums. He is from Chickamauga and is a 10thgrader at Oakwood Christian Academy. He began performing at the age of six. He has performed with District Honor Band for three consecutive years, UGA’S Midfest for two years, and Janfest for one year where he was chosen for the Honor Band.
Butler is a Share America Scholar, graduate of Middle Tennessee State University with a bachelor of science degree in music business and a minor in marketing. As a songwriter/entertainer, she performs country roots music as a vocalist, guitarist and fiddler.
Lewis, 14, is a Share America Scholar of Ooltewah, Tenn. who attends ninth grade at Providence Christian Academy in Ringgold. He began playing at age seven. He won first place in the 2017 International Thumbpicking Contest junior division in Muhlenburg County, Ky.
O’donald, 11, attends Ringgold Middle School and he lives in Ringgold. He has played guitar and sang since the age of four. He has performed as a regular at the Ringgold Opry for six years and the 1890s Day Jamboree and has competed at the Great Southern Old Time Fiddler’s Convention in the Song category every year since he was five.
Stinson is a Share America Scholar and he graduated from Luther Rice University with a degree in religion/ministry and he lives in Ringgold. He has played piano since the age of 10 and began singing about three years ago. His talents have allowed him to perform on WSM and theaters around the south including special appearances at the Texas Troubadour Theater in Nashville, the Tribute Theater, Country Tonite Theater, and Smoky Mountain Opry Theater in Pigeon Forge, Graceland in Memphis, festivals, concerts and churches.
Puryear, 17, of Soddy Daisy, Tenn., is a multi-instrumentalist who shares his talents on guitar and autoharp at events throughout the region.
Franks said some among the other 30 youth performers participating in the project may also attend or appear and advance copies of “Americana Youth of Southern Appalachia,” to be released nationwide later in May, will be available. The upcoming distribution of the “Americana Youth of Southern Appalachia” to radio and portions of the recording process for youth within their service area were underwritten by Roundup grants from the Northwest Georgia Electric Membership Corporation Foundation.