Inside today’s issue of the Franklin County Times you will find our annual Faces and Places magazine.

Each year we have tried to spotlight certain places and people in the county that many don’t know about. One year we profiled Eastside baseball field in Russellville and the history that park has been a part of.

Last year, we took an adventure to show you an underground lake that most county residents don’t even know exists.

This is part of the fun in working on Faces and Places – getting to know the people and areas here that might not get focused on very much.

With the Alabama Department of Tourism promoting 2011 as the Year of Alabama Music and with so many talented performers right here in Franklin County, we thought this would be a perfect opportunity to put the spotlight on them.

Though we limited our profiles to eight musicians, there are countless more that could have and should have been mentioned as well.

We are so blessed to have such a variety of talented entertainers in Franklin County.

We hope that you will enjoy reading about many of these up and coming musicians and the places in which they perform.

This region is rich in musical heritage and Franklin County residents are sure to add to that history in the years to come. Thursday night’s Great Pretenders show, which was hosted by the Franklin County Arts and Humanities Council at the Roxy Theater, was a clear indication of the type of talent we have here.

Young musicians like brothers Jacob and Adam Green and the sensational trio from Red Bay, Allegro Country, showcased their talent right alongside many of the performers you will read about in Faces and Places.

The future is bright for many of these performers and we look forward to following their budding careers.

The potential is limitless for many of them and the support shown by this community can only help as they reach for their dreams.