In a secluded valley in the foothills of Appalachia, American actor/entertainer Randall Franks hikes along a rocky ridge looking down on a pristine green field barely touched by the passage of modern time.
“I always thought this place would be a great setting for a television show about the day-to-day struggles my folks went through in these mountains for generations,” Franks said.
His rural roots and modest home in small town Georgia understate the stark contrasts within one of the South’s most unique personalities who writes books and newspaper columns, acts, sings and plays a variety of instruments including the fiddle. On a modern black desk cabinet shelf, among neatly stacked letters from fans, a couple of movie scripts, a copy of his book “A Mountain Pearl,” are images of three kings – King Henry VII of England, King James V of Scotland and King Phillip IV of France. When asked about those, he simply said, “They are my grandfathers.” Then he redirects attention to a photo of Bob Hope, nearby are ones of Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and Ken Curtis, all childhood heroes and all real-life encouragers to Randall in his talents, he said.
Though he is the first to say he enjoys his Mayberry lifestyle in Ringgold, Ga., his career tracks side-by-side with many of America’s biggest entertainment legends in music, film and television. He first stepped in front of a television camera at the age of six, and by his teens he was regularly performing on stage for thousands and sharing his talents on shows seen around the world. See more here.
