Singer-songwriter and mandolinist Ashby Frank was born in Lexington, North Carolina. He started playing guitar, then moved on to mandolin at age 10 and became a bluegrass mandolin prodigy.
In 1994, he performed with Bill Monroe at the Bell Cove Club in Hendersonville, Tennessee at age 11.
In 1999, Ashby Frank won first place in the mandolin competition at MerleFest at age 16. That same year, he released his debut album, “First Crossing” (Blue Road).
Frank moved to Nashville in the early part of the 21st century. He has performed with a wide range of artists, including Special Consensus, the Marty Raybon Band, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, the Mashville Brigade, the Earls of Leicester, John Cowan’s HercuLeons, the Likely Culprits and his current main gig, Mountain Heart.
He’s had success as a songwriter as well, penning songs for Junior Sisk, Amanda Cook, Dale Ann Bradley, Lindley Creek and more, and even taken on the world of comedy as a member of the Darrell Brothers.
In 2022, Frank released several singles, including “Midnight Highway” and the quirky “Jump On It” :
“Granny’s on the front porch spittin’ in a cup, tryin’ to fix a nightgown that the dog tore up
Mama’s old clothesline finally bit the dust, so Brother got a broomstick and propped it back up
Well, we could’ve had a dryer or a sewing machine, but Daddy went and bought us a trampoline
And we jump on it every chance we get, Mama and Daddy and all us kids
We ain’t got much, but we got this, and we jump on it.”
Discography:
First Crossing (Blue Road)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.