Andy Russell was born into a family rich with storytellers. Every family gathering was filled with stories of history and hard times, simple pleasures and heartfelt emotions. Andy grew up in the western Piedmont section of North Carolina, with relatives scattered in Cool Springs, Statesville and across the Brushy Mountains. His boyhood and his stories sparkle from time spent with his grandparents, big Southern breakfasts, fishing for catfish with a cane pole and making music with friends. Oh, and watermelon!

Andy’s storytelling style is warm and comforting, “like sitting by a wood stove on a chilly mountain evening.” One minute you are bent with laughter, and the next you are quietly wiping away a tear. Andy’s years writing songs in Nashville serve him well here too, as many of his stories have related songs that complement or expand the story, and are often simply wonderful all on their own. 

Andy appeared as a Regional Teller at the 2024 Georgia Mountain Storytelling Festival and at “A Taste of Storytelling” in LaGrange, GA. He was selected as a “New Voice” teller for the 2023 Stone Soup Storytelling Festival in Woodruff, SC. Andy made his third appearance at the Florida Storytelling Festival in January of 2024.

In June 2024, Andy won the Open Mike StorySlam competition for Six Feet Apart Productions. He has also shared stories virtually through online programs including Better Said Than Done, Moonshine Stories and Traditions and Truth.  

Andy is a member of the National Storytelling Network, Storytellers of Central Florida and the North Carolina Storytelling Guild. He currently serves on the board of the Florida Storytelling Association.

In his free time, Andy loves volunteering at an area animal sanctuary where he has worked with lemurs and other endangered species for more than five years. "So many of these animals have had a rough start in life," Andy says. "Helping them to adjust and adapt to a lifestyle much more like what they would experience in the wild is one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had."

Andy lives in Ocala, Florida with two dogs and a three-legged cat (but no lemurs!).