Randy Perkins Music

RS (Randy) Perkins B I O G R A P H Y

A Nashville, Tennessee DJ once introduced Randy to his standing-room-only NASHVILLE NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL audience as “the white Jackie Wilson”.

From Ohio, Seventeen-year-old Randy headed out for the eastern USA and Canada eventually taking up residence in Richmond, VA where he quickly built a musical name for himself. Randy’s songwriting and performing skills attracted many of the area’s top, and then unknown, musicians. Tim Reynolds (Dave Matthews), Keith Horne (Tanya Tucker, Hot Apple Pie), and Keith Howland (Chicago) all performed in Randy’s highly acclaimed “Randy Perkins Project”. As a solo acoustic artist as well, Randy performed as a favorite college circuit performer and frequently requested solo opener for shows such as The Wallflowers, Tori Amos, and Chris Whitley.

With songwriting as his focus, Randy traveled to Nashville to investigate the town’s burgeoning Folk/Rock - Pop scene. After only 9 months of constant performing in Music City, Randy caught the ear of veteran Bruce Springsteen bassist Garry Tallent who was forming a record label and signed Randy to a multi-record deal with their D’Ville Record Group. Randy named his band DIGNUS (hence his “Diggy” nickname) and IN YOUR WORLD, 12 songs written by Randy, produced by Garry and featuring George Marinelli (Bruce Hornsby and the Range/Bonnie Raitt) on additional guitars, was released in the Spring of 1996 to positive national reviews. With Perkins’ song Savhanna Lily Jones being added to over 180 college radio playlists all over the USA and Canada, the soulful and tight “Folk-Funk” trio burned up the eastern United States performing for The MacFEST in New York City and touring with The Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies. DIGNUS would open shows for headliners such as GOV'T Mule, Duncan Sheik, Jars of Clay, and headline medium-sized venues throughout the East. Just as things were looking up, D’Ville was “going down”, unable to survive a devastating financial setback. The promising Indie label closed leaving Randy without the muscle needed to continue promoting his recording.

After the D’Ville demise, Randy continued to build his name by writing and performing his own brand of soulful, “thought-provoking” music and releasing it through the DIGNUS website, ITunes and most on-line music outlets. As host and performer for the 2001 and 2002 TIN PAN SOUTH (Nashville’s premiere annual songwriter showcase) and a featured BMI performer at the 2002 Folk Alliance, the Nashville music community continued to hold Randy Perkins and his music in high regard. Three DIGNUS releases followed and are currently available on Spotify, Apple Music and most streaming outlets and he continued opening for headliners such as Keb Mo, Alejandro Escavedo, Chris Whitley, legendary folk singer Eric Andersen, The Maryjanes, and Those Darn Accordions in the greatest cities throughout the eastern USA.

In the April 2002 Music Row Magazine, contributor and music historian Robert K. Oermann wrote the benefit of the all-acoustic production of Mudhouse Serenade " . . . is that you get to hear how cool Randy Perkins’ lyrics are." Winston-Salem/Greensboro ESP Magazine writer Anise Cerra wrote "What keeps (Mudhouse Serenade) jumpin' is that Diggy never quite lets the ear rest. There's always some little hairpin turn musically to catch the breath or a fine lyric to stick in the mind." In the May 2002 issue, Music Row Magazine's record reviewer John Hood said Diggy "is in fine voice throughout (Mudhouse Serenade), cementing his status as one of Nashville's most compelling vocalists."

As a sitar-playing novice, Randy was asked to perform several shows at the Frist Center Vishnu event in Nashville which introduced Perkins to a three-year run playing sitar at a Nashville Indian restaurant.

While still writing songs and helping to raise his new son, Perkins formed the much heralded 7-piece Van Morrison tribute band Crazy Face concentrating on spot-on covers of the legend’s hits and deep cuts. They sold out venues and after their show at the Chattanooga RiverFest, the city’s newspaper proclaimed “Van Morrison should start a Crazy Face tribute band”. Then, in 2020, Randy was diagnosed with cancer and was out of commission for a few months. He is now five years cancer free!

During his cancer recovery, Perkins created Saints of Woodbine to perform his Christian message songs and released two powerful album teaser singles I FOUND YOU and THIS IS THE GOSPEL on Spotify, etc. These recordings feature musical greats like keyboardists Dane Bryant (Dolly Parton, Olivia Newton John), Hunter Spivey and Jonathan Smith, Rod McGaha on trumpet and fluegelhorn, Nioshi Jackson, Rob Crawford and Perkins’ son Gabe Perkins providing drums and percussion. Mark W. Winchester and Brook Sutton played bass. The featured singers are Reverend Dr. Herbert Hobson, LaRisha Sanders, Allison Lagrone, Jamie Paul, and Perkins. This mix of voices make the song’s messages ring true in a very human way.

RANDY PERKINS is now performing decades of his original music solo/acoustic with Mark W. Winchester on upright bass. Stunningly intimate new recordings under his name should be dropping by early October 2024.

*ALSO* Look for the epic novel, TENSILE TOWN – A Novel by RS Perkins, published by INNOVO Publishing wherever great books are sold online, including Amazon.com and Barnes & Nobel.

DEFY MEDIOCRITY

Perkins Arts can be reached via the following:
P.O. Box 121955 Nashville, TN 37212
cell 615-300-4558
randyperkins@TheDWHQ.com
booking@TheDWHQ.com -