<em>Editor’s note: Carol Franz, "ex wife and best friend" of legendary Brown County busker John Franz, wrote this remembrance of him in advance of his memorial service this Saturday. Franz died Dec. 23, 2020.</em>

<em>By CAROL FRANZ, for The Democrat</em>

A time for remembering John Franz and his musical life is coming to Nashville May 8.

His musical journey was complete here in Nashville. He sang 20 years on the Artist Colony corner. Off-season cold weather found him in front of Kroger in Bloomington.

His worn guitar and tip jar arrived here in 1989.

Music was his family legacy. His father, mother and older brothers sang in church. John’s main interest as a 12-year-old in Scottsburg was talking to the world via ham radio. Many hams’ postcards were sent and received. Scottsburg high school band was his first musical niche, playing flute.

The Indiana University Singing Hoosiers was an easy fit. Only two years at IU, and then off to the Air Force. He served four years at a radar station in Condon, Oregon. There he learned to play guitar in his down time.

Being very in debt in the technical field, he was a crossbar switch-man for Indiana Bell. He was young and in need of adventure, so he flew to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands with his guitar.

His guitar, by the way, was a J-50 Gibson he purchased in Indianapolis following the Air Force. The music store owner asked him what type of music was his. John didn’t know one guitar from another but said he’d play folk music. Good choice, it was the Gibson. So he was handed the J-50 Gibson — today a collector’s instrument.

In St. Thomas, he sang in cafes and bars for three years. There he met Scott McKensie, a musical friend.

Indiana found him back staying with his folks in 1971. He got married, having met his wife at a coffeehouse where he was invited to sing "Bridge Over Troubled Water." I loved his music and we settled on Indy’s east side.

His music then was generally played at friends’ gatherings, weddings, funerals and living rooms.

Our daughter Kate was born in 1974. Through the 1970s, John learned a song a week. A Billboard subscription served him well. Since he didn’t read music, he’d buy the 45 record and listen and learn. He knew how to change the key to make the chords easier. He used a capo — he called it a cheater!

Somewhere in the ’80s he found a song that became his signature song: "Passing Through" by Leonard Cohen. John always sang "Passing Through" at the beginning and end of each performance.

In this era of Billboard selections, he learned more than 150 songs. During the ’70s he was a professional music man, playing all the clubs of Indy — Teller’s Cage, Dry Dock, State of Indiana, Nobel Roman and Market Square Arena’s balcony bars, to name a few.

John and Carol divorced in the late ’70s and he retired from the clubs — he called it "burnout." It was a time of free-wheelin’ and he took his songs to the street as a busker. About this time he ran Open Stages to give other musicians a venue. The Rural Inn and the Hilltop were the hot spots. He successfully ran it for years. He ran a tight ship with the scheduled singers and said that he didn’t care if John Denver walked in, he would get his allotted 15 minutes!

Along with the Open Stage, he still played for tips and it was then that he got an invite to play in Nashville. At the time, a putt-putt course was new to Nashville, and he was to play there outside. He lived in a tent at Remember When Campground. He’d walk from there to Nashville’s Van Buren Street to do his job.

He played his music at Daily Grind for tips also. Ushered out of that location, he got permission to use the Artist Colony corner. There, he played Tuesday through Sunday for 20 years. He was very organized and treated his music as a self-employed job and paid taxes on his tips.

Age and health concerns had him retire. His recognition with a lifetime achievement award in 2014 was awarded because he kept his art consistent for years.

Slats Klug captured Nashville’s lore and history on CDs, starting with "The Liars Bench." Three CDs and two Christmas CDs followed and John played a song on them all. Klug wrote a song about Franz called "Simple Song." Another song by Marvin Parish was written called "Sing a Song for Me, John Franz."

Reverend Payton’s Big Damn Band’s lead singer saw John singing on the corner day in and day out and got the idea that he would also sing for a living. He held John in high esteem for that inspiration.

So the Open Stage — now listed as John’s Last Open Stage — will be held May 8 at 1 p.m. at Mike’s Dance Barn. Much of his music and photos will be displayed. Musicians are welcome to take the stage as well as share stories of how you knew John.