Fran McKendree began his professional career playing at coffee houses around Auburn, NY, and Syracuse University. Moving to the Glens Falls, NY in 1968 he formed "McKendree Spring."  McKendree Spring developed a loyal following, spending the next seven years touring the US, the UK and Canada, doing concerts with Billy Joel, Elton John, Tina Turner among others. The band played many memorable venues, including Carnegie Hall, the Fillmore East, and with the late Billy Preston, the first ever rock concert at Radio City Music Hall.  With their [tiny but nice to be included!] exhibit in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum is an attribution that says: “Experimental and innovative, McKendree Spring mixed blues, folk and country with a progressive musical vision.” Following McKendree Spring, Fran signed with Arista Records. He wasn't touring much during this time but did play a few memorable events, foremost among them a gig in NY's Central Park with Jimmy Cliff headlining. Fran was, however, finding this an increasingly challenging time in his life.

Walking around his New York City neighborhood one day, looking for inspiration, Fran discovered a small Episcopal church. The next Sunday he and his wife, Diana, went to see what it was all about....finding an engaging, faithful, mission-focused and artistic gathering of seekers. It was a breakthrough for Fran, opening a new spiritual path which led him to heed the call to take some time for reflection. He and Diana moved to Cape Cod, where, setting aside his music, he began to work with youth, build houses, and make furniture, eventually feeling a deep longing to make music again. Emerging from this soul searching period he began to work under the aegis of the Episcopal church. He has continued to explore and broaden his calling; with concerts, as music and worship leader, designer and coordinator of conferences, keynote presenter, mentor, and workshop leader. He has released numerous recordings of his own work, as well as producing recordings for other artists at his studio in Hendersonville, NC, where he and Diana now live.

In 2012 he formed AwakeningSoul, a partnership with friend and colleague Ann Holtz, hosting an annual conference embodying ‘Sustenance, Sanctuary and Inspiration.’  Fran says “AwakeningSoul is a coming together of all the things I care most about - relationships, trust, soul-searching, inspiring conversation, beautiful music and art, laughter, and a palpable awareness of the presence and nearness of God.”  Awed by the journey that has unfolded he writes “I hope to remain thankful for and receptive to the presence and movement of God in my life, to do this in a humble, energetic manner, celebrating our differences and oneness as creatures of God, remembering always that we are called to actualize our faith in the world around us."

Fran has been an advocate for doing 'inner work,' finding that paying attention to one's dream world is not only incredibly helpful for one's own growth, but a deep well of fascinating images and metaphors for writing.  This has led to the recent recording and release of his album "Songs For The Journey.'

He is the founder of the AwakeningSoul Ensemble, which provides music for the AwakeingSoul annual gathering in Asheville, NC.  This Ensemble has recently released their latest recording 'Songs from Justice is the Body of Love~Love is the Soul of Justice.'  

Much to Fran's surprise he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the Virginia Theological Seminary in 2016, for which he is most grateful!

'Fran and his music have both woken me up to the startling reality of divine love through the years.  I don't know what to call it--heart, clarity, vision, soul--but there is so much of it in Fran's songs that I cannot hear his voice without receiving more of these gifts myself.’
~ Barbara Brown Taylor

American songwriter, singer, musician, author and multiple Grammy-winning writer of "At 17", "Jesse" and "Society's Child".

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