Martin Theatre hosts mini musicians, country singers at the Majestic

PANAMA CITY BEACH — The Martin Theatre is bringing two musical performances to the beach this weekend.

The 39th "The Martin Presents..." series will start with Country Rewind playing classic country music of the 1960s-70s at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22. Nashville recording artists, the duo of AJ Swearingen and Jayne Kelli, will perform. The season ticket price is $180, though individual tickets are also available for each show. Go to MartinTheatre.com for details and tickets.

Then a fundraising performance for the nonprofit Many Mini Musicians, "Young Artists Spotlight" will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23. Founded by 16-year-old Ruby Tilghman, Many Mini Musicians funds fine arts programs throughout public schools and provides students with opportunities to experience the arts. Its concerts feature young performers and promote community involvement. Tickets to this fundraiser are $20 each, available at MartinTheatre.com/special-events.     .

The shows will be at the Majestic Beach Resort ballroom, 10901 Front Beach Road in Panama City Beach. Tickets are now on sale via MartinTheatre.com; call 850-763-8080 for details.

"All Martin Theatre shows take place at the Majestic because, unfortunately, the Martin is still being repaired following Hurricane Michael," said Ruby Tilghman, founder of the Many Mini Musicians program. "While some of our venues look different, this little town is still providing amazing musical entertainment."

COUNTRY REWIND

AJ Swearingen and Jayne Kelli have been performing and writing music together since 2010, debuting their first self-titled album in 2013. Their sophomore album, "The Marrying Kind," was released in 2017.

Although they each had received accolades for their solo work, their histories became entwined after a night of impromptu duets at the Hideaway, a cozy listening room in St. Petersburg. Their voices meshed effortlessly that evening, leading to more collaborations between the two musicians.

Swearingen began playing lap steel in Kelli's band, while she started singing harmonies on his records. Before long, a romance had blossomed alongside the pair's ongoing collaboration, and it simply made sense to combine their individual efforts.

"We melded together naturally," Kelli said. "We weren't necessarily looking to form a duo, but we shared a bond because we were both still playing the bars in town, and we knew we wanted something bigger. We began playing together, and everything grew from there." 

Now this Nashville-based duo — inspired by great singer-songwriters like Paul Simon, James Taylor, Carole King, Jim Croce and The Eagles — is on a mission to share iconic music with new audiences around the country.

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In the "Country Rewind" show, Swearingen and Kelli will perform a nostalgic night of outlaw country music from the 1960s and '70s. You’ll hear songs by the greatest names in country music, including Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Roger Miller, Johnny and June Cash, Willie Nelson, Emmy Lou Harris, Waylon Jennings and Glen Campbell.

YOUNG ARTISTS SPOTLIGHT

Still a teenager, Tilghman founded Many Mini Musicians, a 501(c)3 organization, which has raised about $13,000 for area fine arts programs in the past five years. 

"Each year, we host fundraising concerts that feature young performers and raise (money) through donations, corporate sponsorship and passive income programs," she explained on the website, ManyMiniMusicians.com . "‘Hello Summer' is our biggest annual fundraising concert that features youth performers from all over our area, and allows them to share their gift with their community." 

Many Mini Musicians is hosting the Young Artist Spotlight in partnership with the Martin Theatre.

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"Join us for an evening of entertainment featuring youth performers from across the Emerald Coast," Tilghman said of this weekend's show. "Hear original songs, covers of greatest hits and a sprinkling of Top 40 in an acoustic and interactive event. ... We will have four performers, each doing a 30-minute acoustic set."

Among the projects funded by the program so far are: an Arts Alive scholarship through the Bay Education Foundation; providing school materials for teachers and students who lost theirs in Hurricane Michael; donating sheet music to the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center for a child who requested flute and piccolo music; supporting Deer Point Elementary's music program by donating new percussion instruments, and many more.