Fran’s Eastside Tavern:

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James and Frances “Mama Fran” Adams, March 30, 2019 / Photo by Roger “O.G.”

As a newcomer to Nashville late in 2018, not many venues were willing to take a chance on James. But right next to the train tracks on the east side, the famous dive bar Fran’s Eastside Tavern gave him a weekly residency. His first year in Nashville, Redding sang at Fran’s for 2 hours every Saturday.