The Franklin Theatre hosted a packed house of community members last night as 21st District Recovery Court hosted its 4th annual The Stories Behind the Songs, an event with an impressive lineup of artists sharing intimate, behind-the-scenes stories of their time in the writer’s room.
On stage this year were chart-topping songwriters such as HARDY, Charles Kelley of Lady A and songwriting duo The Warren Brothers. Through anecdotes of lengthy songwriting sessions with artists like Tim McGraw, banter about red solo cups and tearful yet impactful sobriety stories, these artists donated their time for the night to support Recovery Court’s 23-year mission to end addiction within the Williamson County Community.
Williamson Scene sat down with Connie Martin, executive director of Recovery Court, ahead of the songwriting series to chat about the event and the positive impacts of Recovery Court on the Franklin community.
“We want people to know that we’re proud to have a recovery court here,” Martin told Williamson Scene. “We’re doing good work for the community, and it’s not just me. We have a whole team. We're helping to turn people’s lives around. One person to complete our program is one less person in jail, and one less person on the street. It shows that there’s redemption. It’s a journey, but it’s a special journey.”
Through Recovery Court’s alternative sentencing program, nonviolent criminals who have suffered from substance abuse-related issues have the opportunity to complete an intensive court-supervised two-year program aiding in recovery, as opposed to a traditional sentence, which normally does not supply offenders with the proper tools and care necessary to recover.
Recovery Court became an official nonprofit in 2002, and this year marks the program’s 25th year. Since its start, the 21st District Recovery Court has seen over 375 graduates. Over 70% of the program’s graduates stay clean and arrest-free after they assimilate into the community, and Martin stays in touch with many of them. She’s the definition of tough love, but it’s apparent she cares greatly about the lives of those she interacts with at Recovery Court.
“The people that leave us and graduate, I try to stay in touch with,” Martin said. “I saw a graduate yesterday at the mall. He was with his grandkids, and he’s doing really well. He was always on the streets, but now he has his own hardware business. It’s been years that he’s been in recovery.”
As The Story Behind the Songs program began at 7 p.m., Recovery Court played a video featuring a few of the program’s past graduates, ones that were once incarcerated for drug-related crimes, but have gone through Recovery Court’s treatment program and made it out the other end as successful members of the community. Their stories were impactful, discussing the tragic reality of getting into drugs at an early age and the strength it takes to come out the other end. There were very few dry eyes in the crowd as the graduates in the video talked about their families and loved ones who had supported them on their journey to sobriety.
As for the music, HARDY, The Warren Brothers and Charles Kelley charmed the audience with their stories and songs. From HARDY’s tales of deep Mississippi bottomlands to The Warren Brothers’ tear-jerking narratives of soldiers leaving for war but not making it back home, there was never a true lull of emotions as the men on stage leaned into each other’s banter at The Franklin Theatre.
Kelley’s own sobriety story left the audience reeling in the moment, as he took a gut-twisting emotional pause mid-song. The Lady A songwriter backed away from the microphone as he sang the words “You took me high, but you sure as hell brought be down / We said goodbye, but I’m gonna see you around / And to tell the truth, I thought I never would / But it’s time I finally put you down for good / Cause you’ve taken me as far as you could.”
This year’s Stories Behind the Songs fundraising event not only provided the Franklin community with a night of interactive storytelling, but it also provided the space for the 21st District Recovery Court to share their mission and raise funds for housing, clothes and other needs for those who go through the program.