Rogues #20 & 21: Charlie and Andi Ashworth, Founders of Art House America
Rogues #20 & 21: Charlie and Andi Ashworth
Founders of Art House America:
A legendary producer and the wife who stands beside him.
The format of this second-to-last episode of the Rogue Ones Podcast is unique - I’ll be talking to two rogue ones at one time. They’re a team - one has lived most of their life in the public eye, the other has been by his side the entire time…supporting the mission and purpose behind the public acclaim. Charlie Ashworth, known professionally as producer/composer/arranger/mastermind Charlie Peacock (check out his credits here), has worked in music and with artists most of his life. Guiding, forming, and creating music into work that sets trends for the next generation of music-makers.
The newly-wed Ashworth family.
Standing beside him for over 44 years is his wife, Andi Ashworth, who is a care giver and published author (her book on caregiving, Real Love for Real life, is lovely, I’m reading through it now. Find it on Amazon here). Together, the Ashworths built a compound-esque recording studio and gathering space on the outskirts of Nashville that also acted as their home and a housing facility for the artists who came to record there. Art House Nashville, it’s called. And while Charlie was recording classics with legendary musicians, Andi was making the machine function. She fed, housed, loved, and served these creators in order to ready them for their best work. She also hosted those who came to events in the space, it’s not an exaggeration to say there were THOUSANDS that came through Art House Nashville in their time at the helm. All this was done while they raised their young family on the grounds. Art House has gone national - with three locations across America, this is perhaps what the Ashworths are best known for, but their long marriage is made up of more than that.
Having met as teenagers, Charlie and Andi’s life together has been one of extraordinary measures, but not without struggle. In recent years, health concerns and chapter re-writing have been a part of their narrative, and yet they remain willfully and joyfully bound to each other and their faith in God.
The Ashworths have recently started a new blog together called The Writer The Husband, each new release features two entries…one per spouse. While Charlie’s creative life has often been taking place in the public’s presence, Andi’s writing has been given a new space to shine through this project.
Charlie and Andi welcomed me and my audio team into their home, where Andi had prepared snacks and coffee for our meeting. She gave us hugs, and made us feel at home. We talked in their living room, with each Ashworth taking a leather chair. It’s a conversation about faith transforming the life of a rogue - and their lessons resonated so deeply with me. This is a conversation about fruitfulness, vocation, hospitality, and building community - things that have yet to be discussed on this podcast series.
Find the episode:
Listen right here:
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rabbit room founder and author, A.S. Pete Peterson.
ABOUT The Rogue Ones Podcast:
This limited series lies in no-man’s land between an entrepreneurship and human interest podcast. Sometimes my remarkable guests want to talk business, sometimes they want to talk life. All of them want to share wisdom and encourage us to live remarkably while doing the things we are led toward.
My name is Leslie Eiler Thompson and I am the host and creator of The Rogue Ones podcast, in which I curate conversations with 22 extraordinary folks doing fascinating things - fearlessly living remarkable lives and deciding a straight path from point A to point B is boring. They’re going rogue.
These rogues, all successful in their varied fields, openly share stories of failure, success, insecurity, lucky-breaks…and they are hand-picked for those who listen to the podcast series, desperately wishing to live with a bend toward the remarkable.
It’s my supposition that the most remarkable among us have found ways to bring their circumstances, character traits, and values together to build extraordinary realities. These people fascinate me - and I bet they fascinate you, too. By hearing these stories, we can adopt a rogue lifestyle with a bend toward the remarkable.
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