MerleFest has announced the finalists for its annual Chris Austin Songwriting Competition. This year’s finalists each fall into one of four categories:
Bluegrass:
Videos by American Songwriter
Wyatt Espalin (Hiawassee, GA): “Light Coming Through”
Anya Hinkle (Asheville, NC): “Ballad Of Zona Abston”
James Woolsey (Petersburg, IN) and David Foster (Petersburg, IN): “Sugar Ridge Road”
Country:
Hannah Kaminer (Asheville, NC): “Don’t Open Your Heart”
Andrew Millsaps (Ararat, NC): “Ain’t No Genie (In A Bottle Of Jack)”
Shannon Wurst (Fayetteville, AR): “Better Than Bourbon”
General:
Wright Gatewood (Chicago, IL): “First”
Alexa Rose (Asheville, NC): “Medicine For Living”
Bryan Elijah Smith (Dayton, VA): “In Through The Dark”
Gospel/Inspirational:
Ashleigh Caudill (Nashville, TN) and Jon Weisberger (Cottontown, TN): “Walkin’ Into Gloryland”
Kevin T. Hale (Brentwood, TN): “We All Die To Live Again”
Russ Parrish (Burnsville, MN) and Topher King (Savage, MN): “Washed By The Water”
This year, the event will be judged by Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale, better known as The Milk Carton Kids, Cruz Contreras of The Black Lillies, and Texas-troubadour Radney Foster. Jim Lauderdale will host the competition and Mark Bumgarner will return as emcee for the finalist contest taking place at MerleFest’s Austin Stage on Friday, April 26th at 2:00 p.m.
All three finalists in each category will have the chance to perform their songs for the judges on MerleFest’s Austin Stage before category winners are ultimately decided on Friday.
Most Viewed
-
English rock and pop group The Hollies perform the song 'Sorry Suzanne' on the set of the BBC Television pop music television show Top Of The Pops at Lime Grove Studios in London on 27th March 1969. Members of the band are, from left, Tony Hicks, Bobby Elliott, Allan Clarke, Terry Sylvester and Bernie Calvert. (Photo by Ivan Keeman/Redferns) -
Huty23631 0001 -
Paul Revere & The Raiders Perform American pop group Paul Revere & the Raiders perform in matching outfits, probably on a television studio set, mid 1960s. The band includes Mark Lindsay (third left) as the vocalist and Paul Revere (right) on keyboards. (Photo by Authenticated News/Getty Images) -
UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1970: Photo of Dottie West Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images -
UNSPECIFIED – JANUARY 01: Photo of Bobby RYDELL (Photo by Richi Howell/Redferns) -
Thirty-nine years ago today, Randy Travis was at the top of the country chart with an award-winning hit inspired by a child learning to pray.
