to the work of Fiddlin' John Carson, The Skillet Lickers and other Georgia fiddlers. He grew and gained skills by competing in Georgia fiddle contests, many fostered by World Record Mandolinist Bill Lowery as well as the Grand Ole Opry's Grand Master Fiddler Championship. Franks became a regular performer at the Grand Master Championship for the Opry. His bluegrass recording Tunes and Tales from Tunnel Hill includes a fact-based comedy recording entitled "Big Tige, Mr. Roy and Me," describing a teenage adventure with Opry fiddling stars Benny Martin and Roy Acuff following a Grand Masters Championship. In the 1990s Georgia honored Franks for his work to preserve the heritage of Georgia's fiddling by naming a state-sponsored fiddle contest in his honor hosted then at Lake Lanier Islands. The Randall Franks Trophy is presented to the winner each year at the 1890s Day Jamboree Old Time Fiddler's Convention in Ringgold, Georgia. Randall Franks Trophy winners 1994-2018 are Jack Weeks, Roy Crawford, Johnny Ray Watts (Three-Times), Aerin DeJarnette, Mark Ralph, Doug Fleener, Megan Lynch, Maddie Denton (Five-Times), and Tyler Andal. Franks also co-hosts America's Grand Master Fiddler Championship annually in Nashville at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Franks recorded four fiddle recordings including Peach Picked Fiddle Favorites, Pick of the Peaches Fiddlin', Golden River Fiddlin', and Sacred Sounds of Appalachia. He has performed or recorded with Carl Perkins; Charlie Daniels; Peabo Bryson; The Whites; Ricky Skaggs; Kitty Wells; Pee Wee King; Jimmy Dickens; Jeff and Sheri Easter; The Lewis Family; The Isaacs; the Primitive Quartet; Bill Monroe; Jim and Jesse; Ralph Stanley; Raymond Fairchild; Jimmy Martin; Mac Wiseman; Chubby Wise; Josh Graves; Doug Dillard; Jerry Douglas; Sam Bush; Byron Berline; John Schneider (screen actor), Smith and Wesley, the Warrior River Boys; the Sand Mountain Boys; the Gary Waldrep Band; the Cox Family; the Watkins Family; the Sidemen; Elaine and Shorty; and "Doc" Tommy Scott's Last Real Old Time Medicine Show. Randall Franks and the Georgia Mafia Bluegrass Band The Georgia Mafia Bluegrass Band was the brainchild of the late Georgia Music Hall of Fame member Johnny Carson. The group created in 2009 is an all-star band of Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame members brought together to support Randall Franks initially in his performance for a PBS television special. The group includes Franks (fiddle), Jerry Burke (fiddle) and Helen Burke (guitar), J. Max McKee (banjo), Rick Smith (guitar) and Dean Marsh