The daily paper in Memphis once dubbed Nancy Apple as the “princess of twang,” while the hip weekly paper said she was the “reigning Queen of Memphis country.” Nightflying Magazine said, “She’s as country as Cash, as rocking as Carl, and bygod as bold as Elvis.” Memphis Magazine once named her “one of the top 100 influential people in Memphis,” and the Recording Academy honored her with Songwriting, Vocalist and Community Service nominations and she has been a finalist in the International Songwriting Competition. The Memphis Music Commission made her an “Emissary of Memphis Music” and her name was called in the Congressional Record by the House of Representatives. Albert King used to call her “little boss woman” and the iconic David Amram calls her “the soul of Memphis.”
Nancy Apple has something. Something special. That special something that you really can’t define. A combination of humbleness and hotshot, honesty and hyperbole… sinner and saint.
She sings and writes songs… plays guitar, drums, accordion and harmonica. She’s a back up singer, owns her own independent record label, Ringo Records, manages her own career, books herself, designs her own posters and album covers and works her own promotions. She is host to a popular weekly radio show on WEVL in Memphis for 25 years, and taught the songwriting course at the University of Memphis for 13 years. She’s also a part-time singing tour guide for Backbeat Tours, and full time go-getter. She has appeared as an extra in movies and television, and has had her own PBS specials, Songwriters in their Own Voice as well as Nancy Apple’s Song Slinger Showdown.
Her Moto is Have Songs Will Travel. With nearly four decades and thousands of shows under her belt, Nancy Apple continues to represent Memphis, the Devil, Jesus, hard luck and good times through her words and actions.