Randy Kohrs


Randy Alan Kohrs is an American multi-instrumentalist best known for his resonator guitar prowess, but he plays 13 musical instruments. He is a Grammy-winning producer and recording engineer.

Biography

Early years

Kohrs was born in Osceola, Iowa south of Des Moines and grew up on a farm near the rural town of New Virginia southwest of Indianola. He learned to play acoustic guitar from his uncle at age 8, quickly followed by resonator guitar. In his teens, Kohrs played with the Missouri bluegrass band Possum Trot. He played with them for 10 years while also fronting a local country band. He continued to learn to play other instruments including electric guitar, drums, mandolin, banjo, pedal steel, and bass.

Early career

In fall 1994, Kohrs moved to Nashville. In 1997 and 1998, Hank Williams III hired him to play in his band, then he toured in support of Tom T. Hall.
In 1998, he joined David Parmley, Scott Vestal and Continental Divide, singing tenor playing dobro. Kohrs played on the album Feel Good Day. Then he toured with Holly Dunn for two years and joined the John Cowan Band in 2000, playing on the album Always Take Me Back. Kohrs backed Patty Loveless on a taping of Austin City Limits television show on PBS. He has opened shows for Chris Stapleton. In 2003, Kohrs toured with Dolly Parton in her band the Blueniques, playing on three of her albums and performing as her opening act.

Solo career

In 2001, Kohrs released his first solo album A Crack in My Armour on Junction Records, and formed his own band The Lites. Guests on the album included Scott Vestal, Rickie Simpkins, and Stuart Duncan. Kohrs followed it in 2003 with the album Now It’s Empty on his own Left Of Center label. The album featured John Hughey on pedal steel and James Mitchell on electric guitar. Kohrs' next album was I’m Torn in 2004, which featured a duet with Dolly Parton on "It Looked Good On Paper."
In 2007, Kohrs released the Old Photograph album which featured Scott Vestal and Scott Haas on banjo; Jim Hurst, Clay Hess and Andrew Crawford on guitar; Tim Crouch and Ashley Brown on fiddle, Aaron Ramsey and Jesse Cobb on mandolin, and Jim Weaver and Darren Vincent on bass. In 2009, Kohrs released the album Quicksand on Rural Rhythm Records with Aaron Ramsey and Adam Steffey on mandolin. Kohrs composed five of the songs on the album.

Other projects

Kohrs is a recording engineer and producer; he runs Slack Key studios in Nashville, where he has recorded Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time, Hank Williams III, Jim Lauderdale, and others.
In 2009, Jimmy Ross introduced the concept of a compilation album dedicated to luthier Tim Scheerhorn. Besides producing, engineering, and mixing the album Hornography, Ross released it on his Left of Center label. The album featured Kohrs, Ross, Scheerhorn, Rob Ickes, and resonator guitar artists.

Awards

In 2007, Kohrs won a Grammy award for his contributions to Jim Lauderdale's album The Bluegrass Diaries. Kohrs has been nominated numerous times for Dobro Player of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association.

Personal life

Kohrs proposed to his wife Shaunna Larkin onstage during a Dolly Parton concert. Kohrs and Larkin were married in a ceremony at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville in September 2003. Kohrs married fiddler and vocalist Ashley Brown in April 2011 and they divorced in 2017.

Discography

Solo albums

  • 2001 A Crack in My Armour
  • 2003 Now It’s Empty as Randy Kohrs and the Reel Deal
  • 2004: I'm Torn
  • 2007: Old Photograph
  • 2009: ''Quicksand''

As producer

  • 2006: Jim Lauderdale - Bluegrass
  • 2007: Jim Lauderdale - The Bluegrass Diaries
  • 2011: Jim Lauderdale - Reason And Rhyme: Bluegrass Songs By Robert Hunter and Jim Lauderdale
  • 2012: Jim Lauderdale - Carolina Moonrise
  • 2014: Jim and Lynna Woolsey - ''The Road That Brings You Home''

As engineer

2004 "I'm Torn"
2007 "Old Photograph"
2008: various artists - Hornography
2010 "Quicksand"
2012: Lou Reid and Carolina - "Callin' Me Back Home"
More than 400 records beyond these listed above were all engineered for other artists by Kohrs. The bulk of his tracks on other records were recorded at his own Slack key Studio in Nashville, Tennessee as well.

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