Don Gibson Singer Songwriter Symposium
The Don Gibson American Music Foundation and the City of Shelby are proud to present the Don Gibson Singer Songwriter Symposium on April 1-2, 2016. The weekend events will be held at the Don Gibson Theatre, 318 S. Washington Street, Shelby NC.
Kicking off the weekend, on Friday, April 1 at 7pm, 12 Singer Songwriter Finalists will compete before a live audience, and professional judges, for the Don Gibson Singer Songwriter Award. On Saturday, April 2 at 8pm three veteran songwriters from Nashville will present “Writers in the Round” playing, singing and telling the stories behind their numerous hit songs.
Veteran songwriters, Tony Arata, Marcus Hummon and Marc Beeson, have written hit songs performed by Garth Brooks, Rascal Flatts, Reba McIntyre, Trisha Yearwood, Restless Heart, Tim McGraw, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and the Dixie Chicks among many others. Tony Arata, who wrote the number one Garth Brooks hit “The Dance”, was inducted into the Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame in 2012. He also wrote number one songs for Patty Loveless, “Here I am”, for Lee Roy Parnell, “I’m Holding My Own”, and “Dreaming with My Eyes Open” for Clay Walker. Marcus Hummon has enjoyed a successful career as a songwriter, recording artist and composer, he won a Grammy for “God Bless the Broken Road”. He is known as the Nashville renaissance man and has garnered numerous awards, including five number one awards from BMI. Marc Beeson, a 20 year Nashville veteran, with over 100 cuts, has won 10 ASCAP awards, including both Country and Pop Song of the Year for his hit, “When She Cries”. As an artist he has recorded for Warner Brothers, BNA and Curb Records. He cowrote the title track of Billy Currington’s number one single, “We Are Tonight” as well as Lady Antebellum’s “Lie With Me” and Ashley Monroe’s, latest record “The Blade”. Tickets to this event are $25 and are available online at www.dongibsontheatre.org or at the box office.
Official Rules and Entry Forms for the Singer Songwriter competition are available online at dongibsonsingersongwriter.com or on the Don Gibson Theatre’s website dongibsontheatre.com. All entries must be in by March 12, and 12 finalists will be selected to compete on April 1. The winner receives the Don Gibson American Music Foundation Award, a $1000 cash prize, and will perform their winning song to open the “Nashville Writers in the Round” event on Saturday, April 2.
The Don Gibson Singer Songwriter Symposium encourages the development of singer songwriters and honors the Shelby native who was a member of the Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame, the Grand Ole Opry, and the Country Music Hall of Fame. A music legend and innovator of the Nashville Sound, Gibson wrote more than 375 songs including “I Can’t Stop Loving You”, “Oh Lonesome Me”, “Sweet Dreams”, “Give Myself a Party”, and “(I’d Be) A Legend In My Time”. Gibson recorded many of his own songs that charted in the top 10 as did recordings by Ray Charles, Patsy Cline, Dottie West, Johnny Cash, and many others.
The Don Gibson Theatre is a restored 400 seat venue whose mission is “celebrating Don Gibson’s legacy by showcasing vibrant musical and cultural events that entertain, educate and enhance quality of life”.
For Official Rules and Entry Forms visit www.dongibsonsingersongwriter.com or email dongibsonsingersongwriter@gmail.com. For more information about the Don Gibson Theatre visit www.dongibsontheatre.com or gibsontheatreexec@yahoo.com.
