Arkansan takes stage in Nashville
A BLUEBIRD DEBUT Christmas came a few days early this year for Parker Francis.
On Dec. 18, the Little Rock entertainer-singer-songwriter-musician performed two original songs at the famed Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Tenn. The Bluebird, as you may know, is a Nashville landmark and the place were songwriters go to be seen and heard. Garth Brooks, Kathy Mattea and Faith Hill are among the musicians who played there early in their careers. Taylor Swift was 14 when she was discovered there by music executive Scott Borchetta.
Francis, 32, got the chance to perform at the Bluebird after becoming one of the monthly winners of the venue’s 2023 Golden Pick Contest after pitching one of his songs.
“I was ecstatic,” he says of his reaction when he found out on Dec. 4 that he’d won. “It’s such a great thing to have your music picked by a venue with such a stature. It gave me a lot more self belief that I can actually do this.”
Along with the chance to perform, the prize package included an American Dream acoustic guitar from Taylor Guitars, a tour of the Taylor showroom and factory, a golden pick and other goodies.
There is a lot of music in Francis’ background. His father, Bob, played in a band in the 1960s at the Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa in Hot Springs (where, coincidentally, Francis now plays with his own group, the Parker Francis Band, which includes drummer Slavek Bolubah, guitarist Adam Merriott and bassist Allen Kirk). His grandfather, Bobby Lee Smith, was the owner of the legendary Cotton Club in Trumann, where Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley and other early rockabilly pioneers played.
Francis has performed about 400 shows around Arkansas, but admits he had a few jitters before taking the stage at the Bluebird.
“I can tell you that I have not been that nervous in a while.”
He describes his music as “story-telling country pop” and performed two original songs, “I’m a Small Town” and “Not Like You” at the Bluebird.
“The crowd was wonderful,” he says. “I got lots of appreciation and support after the show.”
Francis and his band mates will be performing at the Arlington on New Year’s Eve, and he’s been collaborating with Nashville writers on new songs. He has about 35 written and plans to start releasing singles next year.
“For 2024, I’m planning on putting out a song pretty much every six weeks,” he says.
THAT’S A WRAP
I’m off this week, so that means you’ve made it through the final Paper Trails for 2023. Thanks to everyone for passing along column ideas and for reading. I’ve already started pulling together the first two columns for 2024 and am looking forward to sharing them with you.
Happy holidays.