Lee Roy Parnell comes to Franklin Theatre

by Josh Belcher, Freelance Writer

Lee Roy Parnell loves two things- Performing with his guitar, and Franklin Tennessee.
He told me during our recent interview how he feels about performing at The Franklin Theatre, “It’s my favorite venue in the nation we always have a great time there.” says Parnell. He brings his very vast and eclectic musical performance to the Franklin Theatre on Fri., July 25 at 8:00 PM.
Lee Roy Parnell can do it all. He is a phenomenal country and rhythm and blues guitarist with origins that run deep out of the Lone Star State of Texas. He also has a very distinct voice that demands attention and can make you feel the trials and triumphs of every verse he sings. He is also a very successful songwriter pinning top 40 country hits “That’s My Story” for Collin Raye and “Too Much” by 90’s Country Group Pirates of the Mississippi. He collaborated with supergroup Diamond Rio and fellow guitar master Steve Wariner on a cover of Merle Haggard’s “Working Man Blues” on the tribute album Mama’s Hungry Eyes. He contributed slide guitar on Mary Chapin Carpenter’s #1 “Shut Up and Kiss Me” and also performed on 2004’s Chart Topping single “Tryin’ to Get There” by David Lee Murphy. He even has his own signature series Gibson Les Paul guitar.
Parnell is still performing and recently celebrated the 20 year anniversary of his band Hot Links which actually recorded their live album and DVD at the Franklin Theatre last year. Now he is back for more, with his string of hits, several special guests and a performance you will not soon forget:

WS: You have played the Franklin Theatre on more than one occasion, do you truly enjoy this venue?

LRP: It is my favorite venue in the Nation we always have a great time there. We did a show in Franklin around the same time of the year ,mid- July,  and it was the 20th anniversary of the band I put together, that I made all most of my albums with and toured the country with for 7 to 8 years. The band was called The Hot Links and so it just happened to be the 20th anniversary when we were playing last year. Those guys are some of the best musicians I have ever performed with and they are all over the place touring and performing these days and we are all very close and very good friends. Last year we had the opportunity to get together to record a live album and DVD and make a great deal out of it. I had surprise guests last year and this year I will have some surprise guests as well. Last year was Keb Mo and Greg Barnhill and this year we’ll have some surprises as well. This years show is with the band I am currently touring with so it will be different and very special in its own right too.

WS: Being the amazing guitar player that you are is their any current guitar picking artists you would like to jam with?

LRP: Yes there are some great ones out there. This new crop of artists. My old friend Jack Pearson, who I have played with before he was 17 when he joined my band and Jack should be a household name when you think of great guitar players. He is so well versed in so many different styles and very good at all of them. There is also J.D. Simo he is the real deal, an amazing guitar player with no assembly required. He is what I consider a great asset to the blues and rock traditions. Very real and organic, he is incredibly soulful and energetic.

WS: Can you tell us a little about your Gibson signature guitar?

LRP: When I was 15 I bought my 1956 Les Paul in Fort Worth Texas. The guitar and I are both 56′ models and that was he only guitar I ever owned and performed with until I was 30 years old. I never even owned an acoustic until that same time frame when I was 30. I only had the one guitar. From then on I wanted thru a lot of guitar changes once I moved to Nashville, and eventually I came back to my original Les Paul. That was always home for me. I am proud to say that Gibson and I have worked very closely in the last few years and they have been very big supporters of what I do and have helped me throughout the years with whatever I have needed. When they came to me and said we are ready to do a Lee Roy Parnell Les Paul, I was thinking back to when I was a kid and I bought that first Les Paul for $300.00 I didn’t know how I was ever going to pay for it, much less live to see that I would have my own signature series model. I am real proud of that guitar. It is really unique guitar and we worked really hard to make it sound and play like everything I love about Les Paul and what has kept me so faithful to the guitar for all these years.

 

Photo courtesy of StudioJams.com