Donna Green-Townsend
Multimedia Productions
The 1988 Pines and Palms television program hosted by the late Don Grooms featured several singer songwriters who have since passed on. They may have left this earthly life, but their music lives on. Their songs can still be heard on the stages of many music festivals around the state. In 1988, Grooms who was … Continue reading Archival television program features many of Florida’s greatest folk songwriters
Update: Disney contracted workers have been roping off areas and placing new warning signs along the beach in front of the man-made lake by the resort hotel where a 2-year-old died after being snatched by an alligator on Tuesday. The body of Lane Graves, the toddler who was dragged into a lagoon Tuesday evening at … Continue reading Disney adds new alligator warning signs and barriers following death of two year old
The halls of the Hippodrome State Theatre in Gainesville feel a little darker this week with the passing of one of its most beloved actors. Rusty Salling died on Sunday, June 12th at the age of 67 after battling cancer for more than a year. Salling, who is best known for his role as Ebenezer … Continue reading Remembering the Hippodrome’s Rusty Salling
What a memorable Florida Folk Festival for Jessie and Lee Townsend. Thanks to Jeanie Fitchen and Mark Smith for giving special stage time to them this year. There were some magic moments as this brother-sister duo performed “Dumbarton’s Drums” on the historic Old Marble Stage with Jeanie on her 50th year performing at the Florida … Continue reading Jessie and Lee Townsend’s Florida Folk Festival 2016 Highlights
(Here is the feature which aired on WUFT on October 31st, 2013, the day before Chris Thile performed on the UF campus) Mandolin virtuoso Chris Thile, who has served as guest host several times on the popular radio variety program, “A Prairie Home Companion,” will replace Garrison Keillor as host of the show after Keillor … Continue reading Chris Thile, MacArthur Fellow, and mandolin virtuoso to host Prairie Home Companion
See the special video presentations of the tribute to Margaret Longhill below the text which were produced by Gail Carson and Paul Garfinkel The 27th annual Will McLean Music Festival at the Sertoma Youth Ranch near Brooksville honored Margaret Longhill on March 12th. Longhill has been the gentle, guiding hand and inspiration for hundreds of musicians … Continue reading Will McLean Music Festival Honors Margaret Longhill
The 2016 Will McLean Music Festival was a tremendous success for the Jessie and Lee Townsend Band. If you didn’t have an opportunity to go, you can watch a few of their performances on the Magnolia, Azalea and Cypress Stages below. Thanks to Red Henry, Andy Garfield and … Continue reading The Jessie and Lee Townsend Band’s Will McLean Festival Highlights
Mindy Simmons, Passerine, Grant Peeples, Frank Julian, Jordan Cherkinsky, Amy Carol Webb, Brian Smalley and Still Friends are the Friday and Saturday night headliners who will grace the Main Stage of the Will McLean Music Festival which runs March 11th, 12th, & 13th 2016 at the Sertoma Youth Ranch in Brooksville. The festival, in its 27th year, … Continue reading Will McLean Festival to Feature Some of the Best Songwriters In Florida
The winner and 2nd and 3rd place finishers of the 2016 Best New Florida Song Contest performed their songs at the Will McLean Music Festival which ran March 11th through Sunday, March 13th at the Sertoma Youth Ranch near Brooksville, FL. The first place winner is Lauren Heintz from Winter Park, FL with her song about … Continue reading 2016 Will McLean Best New Florida Song Contest Winner and Finishers Named
Click here to hear full length archival interviews with Will McLean (recorded by Donna Green-Townsend in 1985 & 1987) Will McLean is considered the “Father of Florida Folk.” The “Black Hat Troubadour” travelled all across his beloved state writing hundreds of poems, songs and stories. After his death in 1990 he was inducted into the … Continue reading Will McLean: The Father of Florida Folk