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Halley Neal is 2023 SolarFest Singer-Songwriter Showcase Winner

Halley Neal is 2023 SolarFest Singer-Songwriter Showcase Winner

Nashville, Tennessee-based singer-songwriter Halley Neal has been named the winner of the SolarFest 2023 Singer-Songwriter Showcase, which returns in July following a hiatus of several years. She and four finalists have been invited to perform of the festival’s solar-powered main stage in Brandon, Vermont on Saturday afternoon, July 15, and will also be awarded cash prizes. As the winner, Neal will be invited to perform a full set at next year’s festival as well. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article.]

Bob Sherman, Longtime Host of “Woody’s Children,” 1932-2023

Bob Sherman, host of the long-running and award-winning radio show “Woody’s Children” in New York City, passed away on June 27, 2023 at the age of 90. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article.]
FAI Folk Radio Charts - May 2023

FAI Folk Radio Charts – May 2023

Gordon Lightfoot, the iconic Canadian folksinger-songwriter who died on May 1, was the top artist and had four of the five most-played songs on folk radio during May 2023, while fellow Canadian Michael Jerome Browne, a noted acoustic blues and roots artist, had the month’s top album (Gettin’ Together). So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio. [Click on the headline to view the top albums, songs and artist charts that are posted monthly with permission.]

Winners Named in Performing Songwriter Contests

Winners have been named in the 2023 Kerrville New Folk Competition, the Al Johnson Performing Songwriter Contest, and the Songwriter Serenade. Although the final rounds of all three competitions took place in Texas, they were open to and won by singer-songwriters from outside the Lone Star State. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article.]

Los Angeles Folk Festival Debuts Oct. 7-8, 2023

The Milk Carton Kids curate and partner with the Los Angeles Philharmonic to produce the Los Angeles Folk Festival that makes its debut October-7 and 8, 2023 at The Ford -- one of the southern California city’s oldest performing arts venues. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article.]

Finalists Named in 2023 Telluride Troubadour Competition

Ten singer-songwriters have been selected as finalists in the nationally recognized 2023 Telluride Troubadour Competition, held in conjunction with the 5Oth annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival, a roots-oriented music festival set amid Colorado’s rugged San Juan Mountains, June 15-18. They will now vie for cash and other prizes, as well as the honor of being named this year’s Telluride Troubadour. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article.]
FAI Folk Radio Charts - April 2023

FAI Folk Radio Charts – April 2023

Singer-Songwriter Greg Greenway had the top album (Between Hello and Goodbye) and was the most-played artist on folk radio during April 2023, edging out the bluegrass band Mighty Poplar, while singer-songwriter Tom Chapin’s “This Pretty Planet” (co-written with John Forster) was the month’s most-played song. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio. [Click on the headline to view the top albums, songs and artists charts that are posted monthly with permission.]
Gordon Lightfoot, Canada's Folk-Poet Laureate, 1938-2023

Gordon Lightfoot, Canada’s Folk-Poet Laureate, 1938-2023

Gordon Lightfoot, an iconic Canadian folksinger-songwriter known for his evocative, poetic and stirring songs, died of natural causes in a Toronto hospital on May 1, 2023 at age 84. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article.]

SERFA Returns to Black Mountain, NC, May 4-7

More than 250 people will converge on Black Mountain, North Carolina, May 4-7, 2023 for the annual Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA) Conference. An extended weekend of contemporary and traditional folk music, networking and learning opportunities, the conference will be keynoted by Jeff Place and features 16 juried official showcases, along with a number of late-night private showcases. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article.]

Entries Sought for SolarFest ’23 Singer-Songwriter Showcase

SolarFest -- slated for July 15-16, 2023 in Brandon, Vermont -- is again hosting a Singer-Songwriter Showcase following a hiatus of several years. It’s free to enter and open to all artists who write and perform original music and are not currently signed to a major recording label. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article.]

Finalists Named in 2023 Al Johnson Performing Songwriter Contest

The Top 10 Finalists have been named in the 2023 Al Johnson Performing Songwriter Contest that is held in conjunction with the Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival, May 19-21 at Galatyn Park Urban Center in Richardson, Texas – just a few minutes north of Dallas. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article.]
Kerrville New Folk Finalists Named for 2023

Kerrville New Folk Finalists Named for 2023

Twenty-four songwriters have been named as finalists in the 2023 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters. Chosen from among hundreds of submissions from around the world, the finalists will perform the two songs they submitted at the New Folk Concerts slated for Saturday and Sunday afternoons, May 27 and 28, as part of the 51st annual Kerrville Folk Festival. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article and to see the complete list of finalists.]