Bonnie Keen
Bonnie Keen is the recipient of three Dove Awards, five Grammy nominations, and an Emmy nomination for her work as a recording artist, author and speaker. She is a founding member of the critically acclaimed recording trio First Call and has performed on “The Grammy Awards” and “Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show” and across the United States, Canada, Asia and Europe with First Call, Amy Grant, Sandi Patty, and Bebe and CeCe Winans.
Presently she continues to enjoy performing, singing, writing and being part of a circle of work in the arts.
First Call’s original trio took to the recording studio resulting in a 2016 release of 6 song-EP, ‘Second Birth’ as the group looks to continue singing together in a new season of ministry.
Bonnie has recorded three solo projects and authored three books with Harvest House Publishers. Her story graced the covers of Today’s Christian Woman and Virtue magazine. Bonnie’s vocals can be heard on commercials for Pepsi, Dodge Trucks, Fritos, Wrigleys Gum and Coke, work with Garth Brooks, Steve Winwood, Barry Manilow and Michael Crawford.
She travels with Windborne Music’s “Tribute to the Music of Michael Jackson” performing most recently with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra.
Theatrical highlights include the roles of Stephanie “To Kill A Mockingbird, The Witch “Into The Woods” Grace in “Cinderella” with the Nashville Symphony, Petie Quince (The Nashville Shakespeare Festival), Tiny “Comedy of Errors”, Maud/Pinky in “Pride’s Crossing” (Lipscomb University), Mama Legend “Scarecrows” (Playhouse Nashville), Mrs. Whitehead in “Man and Superman” and Gingy in “Love, Loss and What I Wore”.
Bonnie enjoys performances of her original two woman musical collaboration in “Women Who Dare to Believe” with Nan Gurley. The musical has been seen by audiences of all ages and the process of writing the musical birthed a two semester, 22 week Bible Study which serves as an in depth follow up for many churches.
Local therapy includes singing vocals with Nashville studio musician events in The Eaglemaniacs, the music of the Eagles and Don Henley.
As a private coach, it’s a joy for Bonnie to give back to a younger generation bringing her stage and vocal experiences from the recording studio to live performance.
The sweetest challenge of her life remains being a mother of two adult children.
Nan Gurley
Nan is a professional actress who has been awarded Best Actress "Tennie" Awards by "The Tennessean" for her work in "The Seagull," "Cyrano," "The Little Foxes," "A Streetcar Named Desire," "Crimes of the Heart," and "The Storybuilders.”
She was awarded “Best Actress in a Musical” by the Nashville Scene for her role as Mama Rose in GYPSY with Studio Tenn.
She also has had featured roles with Tennessee Opera Theater and has been a guest soloist on numerous occasions with the Nashville Symphony.
She has performed the roles of Queen Elizabeth in RICHARD III and Mistress Quickly in MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR with the Nashville Shakespeare Festival, and the Witch in INTO THE WOODS, Amanda Wingfield in THE GLASS MENAGERIE, and the Mother Superior in THE SOUND OF MUSIC with Studio Tenn.
She co-wrote with Denice Hicks and Claire Syler a new work entitled SHAKESPEARE'S CASE, a play in which William Shakespeare goes on trial to defend his modern relevance. The play had its premiere in 2009 at the Nashville Shakespeare Festival.
She has performed her one-woman show, "The Diary of Opal Whiteley," at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC, and at colleges and universities in the Southeast.
Her longest-running role to date is that of Queenie Delphine in The Glory Bugles (www.glorybugles.com), which she co-founded with her husband Wayne and Bonnie Keen.
She wrote, hosted, and produced an educational TV series on the performing arts entitled "Front Row Center" for Nashville Public TV Station WDCN-TV Channel 8 which was aired on PBS stations nationwide and which won the Southern Education Communication's Best Series Award in 1997.
Nan has won two DOVE awards for THE RACE IS ON and FRIENDS FOREVER, two youth musicals she co-wrote with Jim Weber and Billy Sprague. She also wrote and recorded an album of songs for children entitled "Small Wonder,"
She is the author of three children's books, "Little Rose of Sharon," "Twice Yours," and "What Color is Love.”
She also was a 1999 recipient of the Avalon Award for Creative Excellence given by Lipscomb University.
Nan’s favorite roles to date are wife to Wayne and Mom to Erin and Lena.