Randall Franks (right) presents Lilly Anne Svrlinga with the 2025 Pearl and Floyd Franks Scholarship certificate at the Boxcar Pinion Memorial Bluegrass Festival
photo by Share America
The Share America Foundation, Inc. named 15-year-old Lilly Anne Svrlinga of Pickens, SC, as the 2025 Pearl and Floyd Franks Scholarship designee at the 33rd Boxcar Pinion Memorial Bluegrass Festival in Chickamauga. The scholarship honors students excelling in Appalachian musical arts. Pearl and Floyd Franks were the late parents and former entertainment managers of actor/entertainer Randall Franks, known as "Officer Randy Goode" from TV’s In the Heat of the Night.
Lilly Anne Svrlinga, a musician from Pickens, SC, was named a 2025 Pearl and Floyd Franks Scholarship designee. The scholarship, which supports her future college education, recognizes her excellence in Appalachian musical arts.
"Lilly Anne is a talented performer whose talents encompass singing, flat picking on the guitar and leading her own shows," Mr. Franks said. "She is already touching hearts with her talents."
Miss Svrlinga won the Youth Guitarist title at the Galax Fiddlers’ Convention and guitar and banjo contests at the South Carolina Fiddlers’ Convention. She has performed at prestigious venues including MerleFest, the Earl Scruggs Festival, and the Tony Rice Memorial Festival. She opened for Josh Turner, shared the stage with Josh Williams and Southern Legacy, and jammed backstage with Vince Gill at the Grand Ole Opry.
“I want to thank Randall Franks for providing this scholarship to me,” Miss Svrlinga said. “It really means a lot and will help me so much on my musical journey. I am so blessed to have the ability to play and sing such wonderful music and I use music as another way to glorify God.
“I’m the kind of person that if I want something. I’m going to go for it,” she said. “I’ve been that way since the day I was born. It takes want to! I want to thank everyone for supporting me all these years. I wouldn’t be here without ya’ll. God bless and keep on riding this bluegrass train with me.”
Miss Svrlinga, a ninth-grade homeschooler, began playing guitar at age five and currently performs with The Lilly Anne Band and Creekwater Collective. She is the daughter of Gregory and Anne Svrlinga of Pickens, SC.
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Lilly Anne Svrlinga Band
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