Randy Kohrs

RANDY KOHRS MAKES OPRY DEBUT ON FRIDAY

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Progressive acoustic sensation and world-renowned resophonic guitarist, Randy Kohrs, performed on the Grand Ole Opry at 8:00pm on Friday, May 30th. Though he, as well as several members of his touring band, has shared the coveted stage as a sideman with many other acts, this was his first appearance fronting his own group.

For more information on the Grand Ole Opry, www.Opry.com .

------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------JIM LAUDERDALE, RANDY KOHRS TEAM UP AGAIN FOR NEW CD

Monday, March 24, 2008

Americana icon/Nashville hit songwriter, Jim Lauderdale, and world-renowned resophonic guitarist/producer, Randy Kohrs, found a winning formula as they walked away with the Bluegrass Album of the Year at this year’s Grammy® Awards for Lauderdale’s highly-acclaimed Yep Roc Records release, The Bluegrass Diaries. Wasting no time, they are already back in Kohrs’ Slack Key Studio working on the next one.

“We were both thrilled with the way The Bluegrass Diaries came out sonically, and my studio has been upgraded even more since then. Thanks to companies such as Stage Ninja, Great River Electronics, Violet Microphones, new Lauten Audio microphones, and Forssell Electronics, along with the top-of-the-line equipment I already had, we’re confident this next project will sound even better. Jim’s songs and vocals, combined with the talents of the other musicians, insure that the CD will be great no matter what, but recording them in a way that will do them justice is always the biggest goal,” Kohrs explains.

Kohrs has been Lauderdale’s primary go-to guy in the bluegrass realm of his career for the past several years, acting as band-leader, and playing and singing harmony. On Bluegrass, Lauderdale’s previous Grammy-nominated recording of the genre, the production credits were shared. However, Diaries was recorded solely in Kohrs’ own Slack Key Studio, where he did all the producing, mixing, and most of the engineering.

Currently, Jim Lauderdale is on a whirlwind tour promoting his newest CD, Honey Songs, in which he enlisted several big-name musicians whose resumes read like a who’s who of the past 40 years of ground-breaking musical history. Randy Kohrs tours with his own progressive acoustic band, runs his Grammy-winning recording facility, and continues to be one of Nashville’s in-demand session musicians.

------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------RANDY KOHRS TO APPEAR ON THE RACHAEL RAY SHOW

Grammy-Winning Musician Shows Off Band and Kitchen on Friday and Offers Free Song Download

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

February has been an eventful month for Randy Kohrs, a pioneering progressive acoustic artist and prominent Nashville resophonic guitarist. Beginning with his first place win in the International Acoustic Music Association’s country category, followed by a Grammy for producing, engineering, mixing, playing, and singing on Americana icon Jim Lauderdale’s The Bluegrass Diaries, his next move is to appear on The Rachael Ray Show on Friday, Feb. 22nd.

As part of their Coolest Kitchens in America series, frequent on-air RR correspondent and host of HGTV’s Design on a Dime Kristen Cunningham visited Kohrs’ Nashville home and recording studio to check out his diner-style kitchen. While there to check out the various innovative aspects of the room, including his award-winning, custom-built booth designed after the seats of his own ’64 Chevy Impala, Kristen was also treated to a mini concert. His band was on hand to perform the next single, “She Ain’t Comin’ Back,” from his Rural Rhythm Records CD, Old Photograph. Following the show’s airing, this song will be made available free for downloading for a limited time on Randy’s Myspace page. The musical Renaissance man himself will appear live on the show in New York City with Rachael Ray to answer another question or two.

Visit www.RachaelRayShow.com for more information and to view more footage of the celebrated kitchen, found on the show’s introductory advertisement for the series , filmed by Bell-Jarboe Films, who also filmed Randy Kohrs’ 1 CMTPure music video, “Who’s Goin’ With Me.”

------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------RANDY KOHRS PRODUCES GRAMMY-WINNING CD

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Randy Kohrs has solidified his status as the ultimate renaissance man in the music industry by winning a Grammy for singer/songwriter icon Jim Lauderdale's The Bluegrass Diaries, on which Kohrs sang harmony and played resonator guitar in addition to producing, engineering, and mixing the whole CD in his own Slack Key Studio in Nashville, TN. Congratulations to all involved in the project!
------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------RANDY KOHRS INTRODUCES NEW MEMBERS OF HIS BAND

Randy Kohrs has recently made a few changes in his band line-up and is thrilled to officially announce the newest members in the band are Mike Sumner on banjo and Chris Wood on drums, who many saw during his debut performance with the band at the 2008 IBMA FanFest in Nashville. They join veterans Andrew Crawford on guitar, Chris Williamson on bass, Ashley Brown on fiddle and harmony vocals, and, of course, Randy Kohrs on lead vocals and resophonic guitar.

Sumner, the 2007 National Banjo Champion, a title which speaks for itself, is a soon-to-be Nashville resident by way of Michigan and just released his first solo project, entitled Winds of Winfield, on which Kohrs also lends his talents. The band is thrilled to have both of these incredibly gifted players and are already in Kohrs’ Slack Key Studio working on the next album. Nashville resident Chris Wood brings a scaled-down percussion element to the band's sound, as heard on Old Photograph, Kohrs' latest solo CD, reinforcing the already solid, driving rhythm section without overpowering it.

"I'm so excited to have such advanced players as Mike and Chris in the band! They are truly on the same page with the direction the band is going, uniquely mixing the traditional bluegrass roots with a newer, bluesy sound. Flatt & Scruggs pushed the envelope in their day, and we're striving to do that today to create a sound that's distinctively ours," Kohrs says.

------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------RANDY KOHRS PRODUCES GRAMMY NOMINATED CD FOR JIM LAUDERDALE

Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Jim Lauderdale has been nominated again for the Bluegrass Album of the Year Grammy award for his latest CD, "The Bluegrass Diaries." It was produced, engineered, and mixed by Randy Kohrs, who can also be heard playing and singing on the project. Lauderdale's previous release, simply titled "Bluegrass," was on the ballot last year in the same category, as well, with Kohrs sharing production credits with Lauderdale. Being the only producer makes this year's nomination particularly exciting! Ashley Brown, fiddle player and harmony singer with Randy Kohrs & the Lites, is also singing harmony on a song off the CD.

For more information on the renowned songwriter, Jim Lauderdale, visit www.JimLauderdale.com , or click on his page in the top friends list below. To give an idea for those who may not be familiar with his work, he has penned 13 songs for George Strait, such as "King of Broken Hearts," the Patty Loveless/George Jones duet, "You Don't Seem To Miss Me," and the Dixie Chicks "Hole In My Head," to name just a few!

------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------RANDY KOHRS VIDEO NUMBER ONE ON CMT PURE!!!!!!!!!!!

Randy Kohrs, the acoustic artist who took the CMT Pure 12-Pack Countdown by storm last week by debuting at number three, has just climbed it to number one this week, and doesn’t look to slow down any time soon, as it is also on the ballot for next week’s countdown.

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RANDY FEATURED IN NASHVILLE'S ALL THE RAGE

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NEW SONG ADDED TO PAGE FEATURES A.I. STAR MELINDA DOOLITTLE

"Can You Give Me A Drink" from Randy Kohrs' latest CD, Old Photograph, is a stripped-down, hand-clappin, ' straight-up gospel song featuring Aaron Till on finger-style guitar, Kohrs on resonator guitar and lead and harmony vocals, Scat Springs on bass and baritone vocals (and that killer 'Little Richard' vocal move in the breakdown section), and Nashville's own American Idol star, Melinda Doolittle, on the wailin' high tenor. Give it a listen and let us know what you think. Don't forget, you can purchase Old Photograph on www.randykohrs.com

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PURCHASE JIM LAUDERDALE'S CD, THE BLUEGRASS DIARIES, PRODUCED BY RANDY KOHRS!

CLICK HERE to purchase Jim Lauderdale's upcoming CD, The Bluegrass Diaries, set to be released on September 18, 2007!!!

Randy Kohrs has just wrapped up Jim Lauderdale's latest and soon-to-be greatest bluegrass CD in his own Nashville recording studio, Slack Key Studio. Having co-produced his last Grammy-nominated CD, simply titled "Bluegrass," Kohrs was chosen as the sole producer for this next one, a project that can be described as bluegrass with a classic-country edge. Per usual, every song is written or co-written by Lauderdale. Special guests on the CD include Cia Cherryholmes singing high harmony on a cut, traditional bluegrass legend Dave Evans also singing harmony on two songs, Shawn Camp playing acoustic guitar on a song he also co-wrote with Jim, and, of course, Randy Kohrs singing quite a bit of harmony and playing all the dobro parts. With a stellar recording cast consisting also of Jesse Cobb on mandolin, Cody Kilby & Clay Hess on guitar, Jay Weaver on Bass, and Richard Bailey on banjo, and other harmony vocals from Bryn Davies and Ashley Brown!!!

ALSO,watch Randy and fiddle player, Ashley Brown, in Lauderdale's latest music video for the song "Who's Leavin' Who" from the "Bluegrass" CD!!! It's airing on both CMT & GAC, and can also be viewed on Jim's website, www.jimlauderdale.com.

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RANDY KOHRS WINS INTERNATIONAL FURNITURE DESIGN AWARD!

Little known to many who have never entered his own Nashville recording domain, Slack-Key Studio, Randy’s talents extend beyond the musical realm. Randy Kohrs can now add award-winning furniture designer to his list of accolades! Upholstery Journal recently announced the winners of their 2007 Design & Craftsmanship Awards, to which Kohrs and co-designer, Raul Rodriguez, were the recipients of the top Platinum award for their the design of a set of ‘64 Chevy Impala booth seats which sit in the ‘50’s diner-style kitchen in his studio! Possessing a degree in Automotive Collision Repair and Restoration, along with all the pieces of the actual car that served as the inspiration, one might not be too surprised to find him winning a "Best In Show" award for an automotive magazine in the future!

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RANDY KOHRS' SLACK-KEY RECORDING STUDIO FEATURED IN JULY 2007 ISSUE OF MIX MAGAZINE!!!!

The rising popularity of Randy Kohrs' Slack-Key Studio has led to a feature article in Mix Magazine! "Distributed in 94 countries, Mix is the world's leading magazine for the professional recording and sound production technology industry." A picture of Randy with Jim Lauderdale working on Lauderdale's upcoming CD is included. CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE

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WATCH RANDY PLAYING IN "Duke Boys Swingin'" a Duke-ified music video for the upcoming single by Cowboy Troy & John Anderson on Youtube.com. Featured in the movie Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning, available on ABC Family Channel and DVD March 20th!

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With the release of Old Photograph, his first album for Rural Rhythm Records, multi-instrumentalist Randy Kohrs has also arrived as a first-rate vocalist, songwriter and producer.

Kohrs has long been celebrated for his inventive, mood-setting work as a dobroist (that’s him providing the dramatic framework on Dierks Bentley’s No. 1 hit, “What Was I Thinking.”) But his flashes of instrumental wizardry have often diverted attention from his wider musicianship.

As a vocalist, Kohrs possesses a smooth, intense tenor that mines lyrics for the last ounce of emotion. His songwriting, while broadly classifiable as bluegrass, has the narrative drive of country and the mythic overtones of folk. He co-wrote nine of the 12 songs on Old Photograph. Moreover, he produced the ambitious project, enlisting such admiring peer musicians as Rhonda and Darrin Vincent, Scott Vestal, Don Rigsby, Jim Hurst and two-time Grammy winner Carl Jackson.

Growing up on a farm in the rural town of New Virginia, Iowa, Kohrs was raised like every other kid in the area, getting up early to feed the animals before school and performing various other chores until the sun went down. At the age of eight, however, it became clear that he was not destined to spend his life on a farm when his Uncle Jack brought over an acoustic guitar, showed him a few techniques and promptly enchanted the eager youngster.

Having been taught always to pay his own way, Kohrs bought the guitar from his uncle for about $100. Around the age of 10, he became more fascinated with his Uncle Jack’s main instrument, the resophonic guitar, or dobro, and resolved to learn to play that, too. So, in his typically industrious style, he raised and sold a feeder calf within the year to purchase his first dobro.

In two practice-packed years, Kohrs became accomplished enough to begin playing full-time with the Missouri-based band, Possum Trot. He remained with them for 10 years. At 15, he began playing country music with a local band, as well, a band he later fronted in and around Des Moines. During this time, he had been developing his uniquely soulful and powerful tenor voice, along with his repertoire of other instruments, including electric guitar, mandolin, banjo, pedal steel, and bass.

Kohrs’ popularity continued to grow throughout the Midwest, and soon he realized that the next logical move was to Nashville. In 1994—shortly after the passing of his father—the grieving, yet hopeful, young artist loaded up a moving truck and headed to Music City.

In three short weeks, Kohrs found himself playing an incredibly grueling schedule at a club on Nashville’s fabled Lower Broadway called Maggie Magee’s (now the Nashville Crossroads). To supplement the minuscule income that gig yielded, he did auto detailing and light collision work from his home.

In 1995, during one of his nightly solo gigs, Kohrs so impressed Hank Williams III that he hired him on the spot for his own band. On his nights off, Kohrs continued to dazzle the folks on Lower Broad. When the legendary Tom T. Hall decided he needed a multi-instrumentalist for the band he was forming, he dispatched his personal assistant to check out this newcomer who was creating such a buzz. A week later, Kohrs was off on his first major tour with “The Storyteller,” a circuit that took him to Australia for a month.

In the spring of 1997, Hall retired from the road and Kohrs found himself back on Lower Broad. That summer, bluegrass stalwart David Parmley went to hear Kohrs play, and at 7 o’clock the next morning, he was on a bus headed to Canada as a member of Continental Divide. For the next two years, he sang tenor and occasional lead and played dobro with the band. He recorded on the album Feel Good Day, which made it to the Top 5 on the bluegrass charts and the Top 20 on the Americana charts.

Subsequently, Kohrs toured with Holly Dunn for two years and performed regularly with her on her Grand Ole Opry appearances. In late 2000, John Cowan offered Kohrs a gig playing dobro and singing tenor, a task few people in this world have the voice to do. Yet, he performed exquisitely and can be heard on Cowan’s Always Take Me Back.

While grateful to be working with so many great acts, it had always been Kohrs’ dream to have a solo career. In 2001, he released his debut solo album, A Crack In My Armour, on Junction Records. Containing several original songs, it earned him new respect among the Nashville songwriting community and acclaim within the larger music industry. He followed it with a traditional country album, Now It’s Empty, on his own label, Left Of Center Records.

In 2003, Kohrs accepted a gig with the unsinkable Dolly Parton, singing and playing dobro in her band, the Blueniques for the next two years. In addition to playing on three of Parton’s CDs, he also performed as her opening act. In 2004, Parton recorded a duet with him, “It Looked Good On Paper,” for his third album, I’m Torn, on Lonesome Day Records. It spent eight months on the bluegrass charts, rising into the Top 5.

To date, Kohrs has played on more than 500 albums, ranging from those by such legends as Hank Thompson and Jerry Reed to current and recent chart-toppers Trick Pony, Dierks Bentley and The Wreckers. In the bluegrass domain, he has recorded projects for Larry Sparks, Rhonda Vincent, Mark Newton, Bradley Walker, Lou Reid, and 3 Fox Drive, among others.

It’s a lot of credits in a short time. But you can bet Randy Kohrs is just getting started.