Rising Stars: Meet Janet Cox

Today we’d like to introduce you to Janet & Charles. Them and their team share their story with us below:

Janet & Charles are an Americana (heavily infused with comedy) duo who’ve been playing their trade since the late 80s. They have fronted or opened for acts such as The Flying Burrito Brothers, John Anderson, Ricky Scaggs, Gary Morris, Lee Greenwood, and others too numerous to go into here. It’s been a long career.

They also took three decades off to actually get paid to work for a living. Janet ran a chain of dance studios and Charles had a career selling television advertising for various NBC, CBS, ABC, and cable concerns. In the meantime, they made time to play in various bands on weekends, built their own studio (Red Barn Recording), and produced an album which they released independently called “Ten Penny Opera”.

They then wrote and shopped a concept album called “Vietsong” about Charles’ brother’s service as an infantryman in Vietnam. They also found time to write and score a musical called “Pig Pickin’ – The Musical”. Oh… and they raised a beautiful, talented, whip-smart daughter named McKenna who is, by far, their biggest accomplishment. Seven years ago they retired from their “jobs” and came to Nashville to live and work with the local singer/songwriter community.

They’ve been playing out at all the local clubs here since. Additionally, they recorded and independently released a new album called “Too Old To Tour”. They hosted LIzard’s Thursday Night Writer’s Night at Bobby’s Idle Hour until it closed due to the gentrification ongoing in Music City. Bobby’s has since reopened and they host a Wednesday afternoon “guitar pull” there. They also host a show at Whiskey Bent Saloon on Broadway on Sunday Mornings called “Hidden Nashville”.

They feature singer/songwriters of various levels at the venue, having had everything from hit writers to artists making their “Broadway” debut on the show.

Their music is available on Spotify, CD Baby, Amazon, and YouTube. They invite you to visit them on Reverb Nation at jandtandcharles.com or to come and see them live in Nashville at Bobby’s on Wednesdays from 1p-5p and at Whiskey Bent Saloon (Hidden Nashville) on Sundays from 10a-noon.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We’ve been very pleased with the “open arms” of the Singer/Songwriter Community in Nashville but do feel there’s age discrimination for the Seniors.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
We’re retired… now enjoying writing and performing around town.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Charles has a background in TV and I was a Dance Teacher.

Contact Info:

• Email: jscox131313@gmail.com
• Instagram: @hiddennashvillemusic
• Facebook: Hidden Nashville

Image Credits
Barbara Potter Photography