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Song Contest Winner and Finishers in the 2027 Will McLean Best New Florida Song Contest

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Winner Paul Garfinkel- Stowe

The winner and 2nd and 3rd place finishers in the 2027 Will McLean Best New Florida Song Contest are Paul Garfinkel, Trevor Bystrom and Jamie Granger. All three will perform their winning songs at the 2027 Will McLean Music Festival March 12th – March 14th at the Florida Sand Music Ranch near Brooksville, FL. Let’s meet the musicians:

Paul Garfinkel has been a Florida based singer-songwriter for more than 40 years, taking much
of his lyrical and melodic inspiration from the people, places, and history of the Sunshine State. His winning song, Stowe, is about Harriet Beecher Stowe, who spent many winters in Mandarin, Florida (now a part of Jacksonville) on the Saint Johns River. She was an advocate for civil rights and hoped to lure “liberal” thinking northerners to Florida and establish a forward-thinking population sympathetic to people of color. She wrote travel pieces to do that. She also wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin. When she met President Lincoln, it is speculated that he said “So this is the little woman who began this big war.”

Garfinkel, before moving to Deland, FL, lived in Jacksonville for 30 years where he performed as a solo and duo act, releasing his first CD, Good Enough For Me in 1996. That album was named a top ten independent release by WDIY radio and the title cut was arranged and recorded by the Sons of Bacchus a cappella choir at Yale University.

In 1998 Paul teamed up with fellow Floridian Al Scortino to form The Ashley Gang band, that quickly became a popular addition to the regional folk / Americana music scene. The band was selected as a favorite performer by the Folk DJ group at the 2000 International Folk Alliance conference, has released three CDs, and continues to perform around the southeast. Paul has won seven songwriting awards from the Will McLean Foundation, including first place for his song The Creek in 2000. The Creek has also been the subject of a segment on the History Channel UK, used as soundtrack by an Australian videographer, and used as soundtrack for publicity videos for the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic Site in Cross Creek, Florida.

Paul has also been a finalist in the South Florida Folk Festival songwriting contest. He has recorded two additional solo CDs – Songs From Sand Lake, and The Last Good Mile, on Gatorbone Records. Paul continues to write and perform as a solo artist, a duo with his wife, Kay, and in various other configurations, including the full Ashley Gang. In addition to his decades as a performer, Paul produced the “Sundays At Stetson’s” concert series in Jacksonville for ten years, and a new series at Northwest Square in DeLand, where Paul and Kay have lived for the past ten years, and where Paul has been the music coordinator for the DeLand Unitarian Universalist Church. He has been a regular at the Will McLean Festival for 30 years.

2nd Place Finisher Trevor Bystrom- 7 Mile Island

Second Place Finisher Trevor Bystrom from Bradenton, FL is a world music singer/songwriter and producer born and raised on Anna Maria Island, Florida. He wrote his song 7 Mile Island about his grandfather Hugh Holmes. Hugh was born and raised on Anna Maria Island and lived 96 years there. This is where Bystrom’s family comes from and is a big reason for his music taste and background. He says his song, “brings you into the perspective of his grandfather and the life on a small island as it changes over the years.”

Bystrom is known for delivering captivating and eclectic live performances with his soulful vocals and finger-style guitar skills. Drifting from Reggae, Calypso, Bossa Nova, Funk and off into Folk, Americana and Blues, he delivers diverse performances as an intimate solo artist, acoustic rhythmic trio as well as his high energy full band “Rooster Xing” to really bring the sound. He will be performing Sunday Nov 15th at the Florida winter music festival. 

3rd Place Finisher Jamie Granger- O Wacissa

Jamie Granger from Miami is a singer-songwriter who has lived in North, South, and even some middle parts of Florida. His song O Wacissa placed third in the contest. Critics write that his songs charm listeners with warm vocals, rich melodies, and poetic vignettes that seem drawn from real life. Granger’s passion for music began when his kindergarten teacher showed up with a ukulele – he’s been hooked ever since. He says it wasn’t until Covid that her began to work seriously on his guitar technique and write and perform his own songs.

On True Hearted Kind, his debut album for Y&T Music (2025), Granger shares a set of winsome tunes that tell stories with both warmth and humor, his words and melodies intertwined with intricately finger-picked acoustic guitar. He says he was inspired by his music heroes John Prine, Leo Kottke, Nick Drake and early Bob Dylan, along with 1920s string bands like Charlie Poole’s North Carolina Ramblers. You can learn more about Granger’s music at: www.jamiegrangermusic.com

4th Place Finisher Bear and Robert, Jacksonville, FL- Don’t Feed The Monkeys

5th Place Finisher (Tie) Dale and Lisa Dollar, Tallahassee, FL- Florida Cowboy

5th Place Finisher (Tie) Scott Singer, Midland, GA- Take a Picture

6th Place Finisher Doug Burns, Venice, FL- When It’s Gone It’s Gone

7th Place Finisher Dale and Lisa Dollar, Tallahassee, FL- Ichetucknee

8th Place Finisher Bear and Robert, Jacksonville, FL- Mighty River

9th Place Finisher Sharon Osuna, Rockledge, FL- The Night the Sunshine Froze

10th Place Finisher Craig Reeder & Adrian Fogelin, Tallahassee, FL- In Florida

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Song Contest Winner and Finishers in the 2026 Will McLean Best New Florida Song Contest

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Winner Daniel Stepp

The winner of the 2026 Will McLean Best New Florida Song Contest is Gainesville songwriter, Daniel Stepp with his original song, All The Way Around. Stepp says he got the idea for the song after reading a book called, Ditch of Dreams written by two of his colleagues- Steven Noll and Stepp’s friend Dave Tegeder. The book told the story of the proposed Cross Florida Barge Canal. “We had some great conversations about it on drives to music shows and I owe this song to him.”

The original plan was to have a barge canal system that would connect the St. Johns River to the Withlacoochee River by way of a much altered Ocklawaha River. In the end the canal system would have saved boats from having to travel for three days around Florida to ship their goods. “Otherwise they had to go all the way around, hence the song title,” says Stepp. 

“Like any story of “progress,” economic and industrial gains are sometimes at odds with ecological and human concerns. What would have been a catastrophic ecological disaster for Florida springs, rivers, and potentially the entire aquifer, was shut down in large part because of the activism of Marjorie Harris Carr,” says Stepp.

Now where the barge would have gone is a greenway named after Carr with 70,000 acres and 300 miles of trails for hiking, biking, and a wildlife corridor.

Stepp added, “It struck me that we could be living in a radically different state had the project succeeded and we owe the incredible nature we inhabit to folks who fought to keep it that way. They helped educate the public on the value of what we have and the fragility of our ecosystem.”

His song, All the Way Around also addresses some of the violence that happened in the 1930s during the initial efforts to dig the canal.

 “A labor organizer named George Timmerman, who had come to Ocala to institute worker protections, was rounded up and later found crucified to a cypress tree. His lips were sewn shut as a warning to union organizers. I started the song with that event, and closed it with the recognition of Marjorie Harris Carr.”

Stepp points to other great songs about the price of progress such as Woody Guthrie’s Pastures of Plenty, John Prine’s Paradise and Joni Mitchell’s Big Yellow Taxi. “It’s the same tale of what we lose for what we gain. For now at least, it feels like we won this one.”

Stepp says his songwriting draws on influences of folk, traditional country, blues, bluegrass, jazz and the Great American Songbook. In addition to being the current winner, Stepp placed second last year with his song Goodbye Senator. His current projects include the chamber folk group The Wire Birds, an americana group, the Hard Luck Society, and the jazz and blues influenced group the Ramblin’ Mutts.  All of Daniel Stepp’s music and most recent project, The Wire Birds Vol. 1, can be found on streaming platforms. The Wire Birds Vol. 2 will be released in early 2026.

2nd Place Finisher Eli Mosley

The second place finisher is Eli Mosley from Mulberry, Florida with his song, Anna Maria. He says the song is about an escape to a tropical island where the sights and sounds take you back to a lost love and a hope of reuniting.

Mosley’s love for performing began when he was six years old. His family took him to the Florida Strawberry Festival where he saw country artist Tracy Byrd perform live. He says that concert changed everything. He watched the connection between Tracy and the crowd and that’s when he knew he wanted to be a country artist.

His father Michael, who helps manage his son’s schedule, says Eli sang in school and church choirs. He learned performance with heart and harmony, connection with people through song, and how to carry himself with confidence on stage. After high school, Eli Mosley took that passion to the next level at Southeastern University where he majored in Music Business and received classical training in performance and an understanding of the music industry.

Michael Mosley says his son wanted to be more than a singer; he wanted to be a professional musician who knew how to sustain a career. During his final year, Eli was accepted into the Contemporary Music Center in Nashville, Tennessee, a hands-on program where students live and work like real artists. “That’s where Eli learned how to write songs, collaborate with other musicians, and perform for live audiences in one of the toughest music cities in the world,” says Michael.

After that experience, Eli joined the United States Marine Corps which he says gave him discipline, focus, and leadership; qualities that define his work ethic. He wrote songs drawn from real-life stories about family, faith, service, and the road that brought him here.

Mosely has produced four studio albums in Nashville. When he’s not on the road, Eli is a ranch foreman. He says he doesn’t sing country music, he lives it.

Third Place Finisher Grant Peeples

Singer Songwriter Grant Peeples is a 7th generation Floridian. He describes himself as a vehement anti-fascist and a militant environmentalist. His third place song is called, State of Things. Peeples says, “This song is a reflection upon the state of things in the state of Florida.”

A self-described “tree-hugger that watches NASCAR,” Grant Peeples has become known for his axe-sharp socio-political tunes, raucous humor and heart-gigging ballads. His 14th album,  “A Code to Live By,”  was released this past Christmas.  He has published three poetry books and a book of short stories.  He lives in Tallahassee in a pink house.

Peeple’s website says he is the recipient of the Focus Foundation Award for Creative Excellence, which cited the “humor, compassion and wisdom of his songs,” and their “unflinching social insight and cultural acuity.” He spends most of his time touring and is a regular performer at Will McLean Music Festival, The Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, the 30A Songwriters Festival, and The Florida Folk Festival.

4th Place Finisher Daniel Stepp- Castle for Two

5th Place Finisher Bear and Robert- Don’t Feed the Monkeys on the River

6th Place Finisher Shadric Smith- Fiddles Down in Florida

7th Place Finisher Charles Brown- Zephyrhills

8th Place Finisher Frank Julian and Jordan Cherkinsky- Gypsies of the Sea

9th Place Finisher Kim LeCouteur- Florida Pines

10th Place Finisher James Hawkins- Black Hat Troubadour

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My Friendship With “The Black Hat Troubadour” Will McLean

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Will Mclean who was the first folk artist inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 1996
Will McLean, the first folk artist inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 1996

By the time I met Will McLean he had already penned most of the hundreds of songs and poems he has become famous for.  He’d already performed at Carnegie Hall and made friends with the late Pete Seeger.  His glory days performing on the “Old Marble Stage” at the Florida Folk Festival were long since past.  The truth is, the day I met him I didn’t even really know him by name.  But I think therein lies the reason we became fast friends.  Will McLean was one of the most humble men I’d ever met.

It was in mid-November in 1985.  I was working in the WUFT-FM newsroom in Weimer Hall at the University of Florida when a tall man dressed all in black (that’s how I remember it) walked into my office and kindly, almost demurely, asked if he could post some fliers on the bulletin boards in the hallway to promote his concert that was to take place that following Sunday night November 17th in the Thomas Center in downtown Gainesville.  Just having someone come in and ask to post something was rare.  Thinking back on it, I’m surprised I didn’t just say yes or no.  I remember being intrigued by this man because of the soft-spoken way in which he asked me.  Maybe it was the way he was dressed and his stature that caused me to begin asking him questions, questions that today I’m a bit embarrassed that I asked, but so glad I did.

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Photo on Will McLean’s “Florida Sand” album

I remember questioning him about what kind of songs he’d written.  Instead of being surprised and offended that I didn’t know who he was he began to softly tell me some of the song titles and what they were about.  That’s where my friendship with Will McLean really began.  When he got to the song, “Hold Back the Waters,” my heart actually fluttered.  I had no idea how popular that song really was or the true history behind the song of the 1928 hurricane in Florida over Lake Okeechobee.  Geez, people in Florida had been singing this song like an anthem for more than 20 years.  But in 1985 I had only been living in Florida for a little more than two years and was just getting to know Florida history and area musicians.  But, I knew that song.  I fell in love with “Hold Back The Waters” when I was helping produce a national music series while out in the state of Kansas called, “The Walnut Valley Festival.”  The public radio station I was working for as news director, KHCC-FM, had produced 26 one-hour programs for national distribution.

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Album cover to record by Red and Murphy & Company I purchased at the Walnut Valley Festival in the early 1980s

My job was to interview all the musicians and produce features for the series.  It was my first real introduction to a genre of music you just don’t come across on the radio every day.  One of the groups performing in 1982 was Red and Murphy Henry, a bluegrass family band from Florida (now Virginia).  I can distinctly remember Murphy Henry introducing the song, Hold Back The Waters, saying it was about a hurricane.  Of all the songs I heard at the Walnut Valley Festival those two years in the early 1980s, this was the one song I sat down and wrote out the lyrics to and learned to sing. Listening back to the original tape I can hear Murphy Henry mentioning Will McLean’s name, but at the time I learned it I wasn’t as interested in the artist who wrote it as much as in the story of this devastating storm that pushed Lake Okeechobee’s waters over its banks and drowned between 3,000 to 4,000 people.

truck carrying victims of 1928 hurricaneThe 1928 storm was before television and the weather channel and before hurricanes even had names.  It intrigued me that the Seminoles living in Florida may have warned the storm was coming but people didn’t pay attention.  This storm is the reason there is now a dike all around Lake Okeechobee in South Florida.  There are many accounts from people recalling the storm describing how they were tied to trees by their families so they wouldn’t be swept away.  There are stories about the mass graves following the storm….some marked and some unmarked.  Yes, this was an intriguing song about history and my first introduction to what hurricanes could really do.

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Photo on Will McLean’s “Florida Sand” album

I loved “Hold Back The Waters.”  As soon as Will McLean mentioned it I remember blurting out, “I know that song.”  When I told him where I first heard it his eyes just lit up.  I wasn’t prepared for him to then ask, “Why don’t you come to my concert and sing it with me.”  He had just met me.  He didn’t know if I could sing or not.  I’m sure I thanked him kindly for asking, but he surely didn’t need me to come and sing.  It was his concert after all.  He insisted.

Will McLean waiting to performBefore he left the station I introduced him to our operations manager and our chief engineer and it was decided that WUFT would send its remote recording truck to the concert.  I remember sitting in a little room at the Thomas Center that night in November of 1985 practicing the song with Will.  I was so afraid I’d forget the words or forget how to play it on my guitar.  My fears were relieved when I saw Murphy Henry walk into the Thomas Center, the person I first heard sing the song out in Kansas.  It turned out that I didn’t have to worry about playing the guitar, I only had to sing the song with Will and Murphy.  My fears about forgetting the words disappeared.  Here is the introduction to the song that night in 1985


and here’s the recording of Will McLean, Murphy Henry and me singing “Hold Back The Waters.”

In 1985 I was engaged to be married to Lee Townsend from Cross Creek.  He was with me at the Thomas Center.  As it turns out, Lee knew Will for a different reason.  When he was working as a mechanic in Gainesville he often worked on Will’s old vehicles, doing his best to keep them running, many long after they should have been abandoned.  That night Will dedicated a poem to us. It was a poem so appropriate for a couple who lived in the woods in Cross Creek.

Florida's Black Hat Troubadour I will only say that following that November concert, for whatever reason, that professional recording got stashed away on a shelf and misplaced for nearly 12 years….a whole different story in itself.  Eventually, it resurfaced at just the right time because the new program director at WUFT-FM, Bill Beckett, had an appreciation for what this recording meant to history.  Working together with the Executive Director of the Will McLean Foundation, Margaret Longhill, we turned the recording into the CD, “Will McLean and Friends, Live at the Thomas Center.”  I met Margaret Longhill the same week I met Will in 1985.  She truly understood how rare this professional recording of Will McLean was.  We’ve been friends now for nearly 32 years.

Will McLean standing beside the van he used to travel around the state writing songs about his Florida sand
Will McLean standing beside the van he used to travel around the state writing songs about his Florida sand

Because of the way Will McLean lived, he had very few possessions.  After his wife Alice died of cancer Will spent most of his last years travelling around in an old beat up van and hanging out at campgrounds where he could fish or just plug in his extension cord at the homes of various friends.  He pawned many of his guitars to obtain money to buy wine and  he gave away cassette tapes of his recordings to just about everyone he met.  I think he enjoyed revisiting the places around Florida where his grandpa had taken him as a boy.  Those trips were the inspiration for many of his songs and poems.

Not all of the stories about Will McLean are pretty, but he was a unique individual….a treasure.  About a month after the Thomas Center concert Will came to Cross Creek to help me celebrate my 28th birthday.  I remember having a nice little music jam on my screened porch over Cross Creek.  What I also remember is that Will chose to just sit back and listen to everyone else sing and play, not wanting to be in the spotlight.  As much as I wanted him to play for us, I can now look back and appreciate how he didn’t want to be center stage the way some musicians do.  I liked that quality in him.

The same thing happened on March 15, 1986 at my wedding reception in Cross Creek.  Someone told me Will McLean had just arrived and was looking for me.  He had a wedding present for my husband Lee and me.  It was a cassette full of recordings he had made around the campfires at the Florida Folk Festival and other places.  Not wanting to be the focus of my wedding reception he kindly gave us his “best wishes” and disappeared. After getting to know Will better over the coming months I invited him into the WUFT studios to do a long interview in 1987.  You can hear my first interview with Will in 1985 when I was just getting to know him and the second interview where I knew Will a little better by clicking here.  Let’s just say I’m really glad I have those recordings.  There are stories in those interviews that needed to be preserved forever.

Painting of Will McLean by Marianne Dinella
Painting of Will McLean by Mary Ann Dinella

Will died in 1990 from cancer.  Friends gathered for his  memorial in the Thomas Center, the same venue where I sang with him less than five years before.  Both floors of the Thomas Center were packed.  Many of his friends performed Will’s songs and told stories of how they knew him including the late Gamble Rogers, Don Grooms, Bobby Hicks, Dale Crider, Seminole Chief James Billie, Jeanie Fitchen, Mary Ann Dinella, Doug Gauss, Dennis Devine and Wayne Martin.  The list is long.  There were tears and much laughter as well.  I don’t think I’ve ever cried so hard.  He touched so many of us in so many ways.  This is the first time I’ve ever really written my thoughts about it.  Thank goodness someone actually video-taped the service.  It is a real treasure to see.

Will McLean holding a puppy on a chilly day Afterwards many of us went to Gore’s Landing by the Ocklawaha River to disperse Will’s ashes.  Some of those in attendance were Margaret Longhill, Don Grooms, Dale Crider and family, Donna Green-Townsend and family, Wayne Martin, and Bobby Hicks to name a few.  Gore’s Landing was one of Will’s favorite places to camp.  I saw him there while my family was also camping not long before he got so sick.

Sign dedicated to Will McLean at Gore's Landing
Sign dedicated to Will McLean at Gore’s Landing

Margaret Longhill chose the Ocklawaha River because before he died, McLean had told her that he had hoped to light a small campfire one last time at Gore’s Landing, his favorite campsite.  In this brief recording, you will hear a small portion of that special ceremony at the river:

the late Will McLean considered to be the "Father of Florida folk"
The late Will McLean considered to be the “Father of Florida folk”

In 1996, because of his artistic contributions, Will became the first folk artist inducted into the prestigious Florida Artists Hall of Fame.  

One of the highlights of the festival is the hour when the winners of the Will McLean Best New Florida Song Contest perform their winning songs.  Will always wanted to “Save Florida Through Music.”  It’s amazing how many songs there are now about his beloved “Florida Sand.”

 If you’ve never been to the Will McLean Folk Festival you really should check it out.  It’s truly a “songwriters festival.” Mark your calendars for the next one scheduled for Friday, March 13th – Sunday, March 15th, 2026. It’s held at the Florida Sand Music Ranch Ranch near Brooksville and just 7 miles west of Dade City.  It’s small in comparison to many music festivals, but that’s why it’s so special.  The performers and the people who attend are all in the same campground, playing music throughout the night.  

Jessie and Lee Townsend
Jessie and Lee Townsend

My children have grown up there.  In 2016 my son Lee and daughter Jessie Townsend performed on both Saturday and Sunday at the festival and honored many songwriters who have passed on in a special “Florida Set.”  

I love sharing the legacy of Will McLean with the younger generation.  That being said, I can’t tell you how sweet it is that my granddaughter literally fell in love with one of Will’s songs as an infant.  If she was crying, it soothed her.  When she began to talk, she asked for the song to be played.  By the age of two she was singing the words with her Aunt Jessie and Uncle Lee.  Here’s a version of them singing it together.

As the late singer-songwriter Pete Seeger said, “Will McLean’s songs will be sung as long as there is a Florida.”  Rest in Peace Will McLean, my friend.

Artist Features

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(Click on an artist’s link to view and hear a feature about them)

Jessie (Townsend) Armstrong

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Willie Green

Chris & Red Henry

Mike Jurgensen

Will McLean

Walter Parks

Punch Brothers

Gamble Rogers

Pete Seeger

Shana “Banana” Smith

Tom Shed

Walter Strauss

Lee Townsend

“Doc” Watson

Jesse Winchester

The Bills

De Lions of Jah

Amanda Garrigues

Don Grooms

Hippodrome & other theatre archival features

Lennie Kesl

Aaron O’Rourke

Grant Peeples

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

Sno Rogers Band

Jon Semmes

Michael Smith

Chris Thile

Tuck Tucker

Amy Carol Webb

Danny Wooten

Dale Crider

Billy Dean

Steve Gillette & Cindy Mangsen

Mary Hausch

Mark Johnson

Rod MacDonald

Sam Pacetti

Pines & Palms TV Special

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Peter Rowan

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Mem Semmes

Song Contest Winners, Will McLean Festival since 1992

George Tortorelli

Gabe Valla

Lis and Lon Williamson

The Gatherings

Song Contest Winner and Finishers in the 2024 Will McLean Best New Florida Song Contest

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You can listen to all of the Top Ten Songs if you scroll down past the Top Three winners.

Winner- Jim Bickerstaff, “Sister Mary”

All of the Top Three finalists will be performing their winning song at the Will McLean Music Festival scheduled for March 8th – 10th, 2024 at the Florida Sand Music Ranch near Brooksville.

Jim Bickerstaff says winning the Will McLean song contest is more than an honor, “It is recognition by my peers in a community of fine writers, performers, and humans … a validation of my creative efforts.”   He says the late Margaret Longhill, who was instrumental in starting not only the Will McLean Festival, but also the Will McLean Foundation, is the main reason he ever wrote any songs about Florida, “She wore her vision on her sleeve, and she is the person that made room for a Georgia boy in the Florida Folk community. ” 

“I first met Margaret Longhill in the early days of WillFest, before we called it that I think,” says Bickerstaff. The first two he attended were at two different venues near Dunnellon, and the following year, Longhill moved it to what was then called the Sertoma Youth Ranch and now called Florida Sand Ranch. He says, “Jim Billie invited me to play with him at the festival, and like everyone who ever came within range of Margaret’s magnetic field, I assumed an orbit and became a thread in the tapestry she was continuously weaving. Margaret had a sizable influence on everyone she met as well as on people who have no idea who she was. She was a purposeful woman and a good soul. I will never forget Sister Mary,” says Bickerstaff.

He says the primary message of his winning song, “Sister Mary,” is that we still have work to do preserving Florida and the rest of the planet for that matter. With Margaret gone, we are left to carry on her vision with art, music, and fighting for balance between development and conservation.”   Bridge –  What used to be is gone forever, time don’t go back to where it’s been. But as we step into tomorrow, are we going to let this happen once again?   The secondary message says Bickerstaff, “A testimony to the fact that Margaret was here and did this thing.”   Second Verse Sister Mary beckons all the flowers in the field to gather for the Native son Then they blow like dandelions, scattered to the wind, singing songs of old Florida.  He adds, “I think it is important to understand that the planet will shrug us off like a rash once we destroy our ability to survive here. A few hundred thousand years after we become extinct, there will be little sign that we ever existed. Yet, our longevity is largely in our hands if we learn to coexist within the delicate balance that makes this planet inhabitable by humans.”  3rd Verse Floods and raging hurricanes have come and they have gone But nothing any man can do can keep away the dawn.

Bickerstaff credits the musicians for “Sister Mary” as: Terry Feller – Drums, Bob Wray – Bass, Clayton Ivey – Wurlitzer Piano, Pat Severs – Acoustic Guitar, Johnny B – Dobro, Donny Carpenter – Fiddle, Jim Bickerstaff – Vocals & Acoustic Guitar.

As a four-year house engineer for legendary producer, Johnny Sandlin, Bickerstaff has worked at the top of the music business as an audio engineer for groups such as Widespread Panic, Col. Bruce Hampton & the Aquarium Rescue Unit & The Dixie Dregs on releases by Capricorn Records and Warner Brothers Music. Additional projects and artists include Scott Boyer, Tommy Talton, Chuck Leavell, Butch Trucks, Eddie Hinton, Loretta Lynn, Roger Hawkins, Randall Bramblett, T Lavitz, David Hood, John Hiatt, Ry Cooder, Gladys Knight, Kelvin Holly, Spanky Alford, and others.

As an independent producer and engineer, Bickerstaff has worked with Jupiter Coyote, Chief Jim Billie, Sarah McCulloch, Jeannie Fitchen, Mindy Simmons, Raiford Starke, Joey Errigo, Clyde Walker, Sam Pacetti, Vassar Clements, John McEuen, Bela Fleck, Upsala, and other Indie artists.

As a writer and performer, Bickerstaff has released three albums of his music. He retired from Duke Energy in June, 2023 and has leaned into performing and production full-time again. In 2020 Bickerstaff placed third in the song contest with “Jim Billie, Chief of the Seminole.”

2nd Place Finisher, Amy Carol Webb- “Carry It On”

Amy Carol Webb says as a child she always knew that she wanted to be a musician and a minister when she grew up. Her father was a music teacher and a gospel preacher like his father before him. Her mother was a singer, Bible-school teacher and Mom to the kids of the neighborhood wherever they lived – and they lived a lot of places throughout Oklahoma, and Texas.

“Our house was like growing up in a practice hall as all us kids learned and experimented, what with the four of us singing and playing guitars, drums, trombone, tuba, piano, sax….it was a lovely kind of chaos. Music was breathing to me. Still is,” said Webb.

Upon graduating college with a BSE in Performing Arts, Webb says she set out for a career in marketing, music performance, production and education, in Los Angeles. As a performer and songwriter, she toured the US, Canada, Mexico and Japan, and played from the Kennedy Center to the stages of some of the most hallowed music festivals, universities and conferences.

As an educator Webb has taught music, creative writing, songwriting and life-skills development from the halls of the University of Miami to the cells of maximum security women’s prisons in Florida.

In the realm of Justice Music, Webb is a Charter Fellow of Noel Paul Stookey’s “Music2Life Foundation,” working for justice through music. In 2010 she graduated Summa Cum Laude from seminary at Andover Newton Theological School and was ordained the following year by the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Boca Raton, where she served for three years as a student and intern. Presently, she works as a Board Certified hospice Chaplain and bereavement group facilitator and is Consulting Minister to the River of Grass Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Davie, Florida.

She continues to provide concerts and workshops, and compose and record new music. In 2013 she released her 10th CD, Moments: Music – Mantra – Mystery, a celebration of devotional music from the world’s spiritual traditions as well as new Unitarian Universalist hymns and chants. Her justice anthem, STAND!, debuted at the 2010 Unitarian Universalist Association’s General Assembly with a 150 voice choir and has been taken up by UU congregations and justice champions around the world – along with the call to action Tell Somebody! released at the UUA General Assembly 2012, and the invitation to reverence, On Holy Ground.

Webb says, “I am privileged to travel widely within the acoustic music community and the Unitarian Universalist movement preaching, singing, speaking, facilitating a variety of workshops focused to deepen, strengthen, amplify and edify – including fifteen years of service to SUUSI (Southeast Unitarian Universalist Summer Institute) with four years on the Board. In service to the larger faith community, I regularly speak, sing and teach at interfaith events, welcoming denominations, and also have served on the Board of the Ecumenical Institute at St. Thomas University in Miami.”

Webb is no stranger to the Will McLean Best New Florida Song Contest. In 2002 she placed first with her song Turtle Tears. That same year she also placed third for her song Rivers Roll On. Webb has been a consistent headliner at the Will McLean Music Festival and other music festivals across the state including the Florida Folk Festival, the Gamble Rogers Music Festival and the South Florida Folk and Acoustic Music Festival.

Tie: 3rd Place Finisher, Lis Williamson- “Land of Flowers”

Elisabeth Williamson is a singer-songwriter residing in the Sandhills of her native Florida. She has been performing in Florida for many decades with her husband, Lon, in various groups over the years, The Driftwoods, The Gatorbone Band, Valla Turner Williamson and so many more. She and her husband Lon have recorded and produced more than 75 records of all original Florida folk music for the Florida folk singer-songwriter community which she describes as a deeply fulfilling endeavor. Her song, The Land of Flowers, was inspired by her lifetime of observance of the changing state of the state of Florida as well as a commentary that, “we must remain vigilant to preserve what’s left of her natural beauty.”

Lis Williamson is no stranger to the Will McLean Best New Florida Song Contest as she has taken home the first place prize on two occasions. In 2013 she won for her song F-L-O-R-I-D-A and in 2007 she won first place for her song Florida Cracker Girl. Several of Lis and Lon Williamson’s music recordings can be heard in the nationally distributed public television documentary, From Novel to Movie: The Yearling in Florida.

Williamson, who has been a player and lead singer in bluegrass bands, country bands, folk trios, madrigals and jazz ensembles has performed in thousands of venues, from festivals to honkytonks, wine bars, churches and barns as well as weddings, christenings, funerals, gourmet restaurants and rodeos around the country. She is active with the Gamble Rogers Music Festival Board. You can catch her performing most often at a variety of venues in the St. Augustine area.

Tie- 3rd Place finisher, Kurt Fortmeyer- “Pelicans“

Kurt Fortmeyer describes himself as a neo-traditional hobo, bluesman, honkytonking folksinger and songwriter. He says he was born in a barn, and raised in a stable environment, or so he might tell an unwitting listener in one of his sillier moments. He lived in North Carolina, California, Hawaii, and Maryland, before starting the first grade in Texas. A long-time lover of music, Fortmeyer joined his first band at the age of thirteen, and started writing songs almost right away. By the age of 19, he was turning into more of a solo singer/songwriter, with the occasional stints in blues, country, and rock bands.

In the 1970s, he hitchhiked coast-to-coast with a guitar and a burlap sack full of clothes. In the 1980s, he met his wife, and mostly came in off the road. With the help of friends, he built the house where his kids grew up in eastern North Carolina. In the 1990s, he and his wife opened a coffeehouse that became a haven for songwriters, and in the early part of this century, they moved to the Nashville area, where they now live in a holler in the hills northwest of town.

Fortmeyer has performed at the world-famous Bluebird Cafe in Nashville for almost 20 years. He has been a featured performer at the North Carolina Museum of History, and The Bluegrass Hall of Fame and Museum in Owensboro, Kentucky. His recordings have been played on radio stations around the world, and are available on most streaming platforms.

He describes his inspiration for writing his song Pelicans, “I was writing a “Coastal Country” kind of song with a producer friend of mine and his artist, when I came up with a line about a pelican. My friend went off on me. “Nobody’s going to sing a song with the word ‘pelican’ in it. It’s a clunky word, and an ugly bird. A seagull is the iconic ocean bird. It has to be a seagull.” I told him “You can find seagulls at the landfill, but if you see pelicans, you know you’re at the coast.” He insisted on a seagull, and since it was for his artist, and they bought my lunch, I relented. On the way home, I started thinking about about it, and his comment stuck in my craw. When I got home, I started working on Pelicans.

4th Through 10th Place Finishers:

4th place- Chad Spikes- “Days Long Gone“

5th place- Chad Spikes- “Ghost of the Suwannee”

Tie 6th place- Cindy Bear and Susan Grandy- “Suwannee River in White Springs”

Tie 6th place- Chad Spikes- “Apalachee Sky”

7th place- David Beede- “The Melrose Song”

8th place- Dale & Lisa Dollar- “Ochlockonee”

9th place- Scott Campbell- “Bloody Buckets Bridge”

10th place- Bob Patterson- “Santa Fe”

Back to the Will McLean website

Back to the list of winners since 1992

Passing on Will McLean’s legacy to the next generation

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During the 2022 Will McLean Festival, five-year-old Emeline made her first major stage appearance singing the Will McLean song, “Cryin’ Bird.” It’s a song about Florida’s Limpkin, a bird that has disappeared from many areas of the state because of the loss of the apple snails that they depend on. Emeline has loved this song since she was an infant. She is joined on the Magnolia Stage by her Aunt Jessie Armstrong and a family friend Andy .

Two and a half year old Emeline Floyd joins her Aunt Jessie Armstrong and Uncle Lee Townsend to sing the late Will McLean’s Crying Bird

A favorite Will McLean song is “Cryin’ Bird” about the Florida Limpkin….a bird that has disappeared from many areas of the state because of the loss of the apple snails that they depend on. In this rendition of the song are Emeline Floyd, Jessie Armstrong and Lee Townsend who are helping to keep alive the music of the Father of Florida Folk, Will McLean.

The Florida Limpkin, also known as the “Cryin’ Bird” (Photo by Donna Green-Townsend)

Here are the lyrics to Will McLean’s Cryin’ Bird:

Cryin’ bird, your sad cry

in the night, is a cry of a lost child in fright

Cryin’ bird, are the apple snails gone

from the Wakulla River, from your home

You are sad, soon you’ll fly

far away, from the river you love

where you stay

Cryin’ Bird, as you go

fill the swamp,

with your sweet Limpkin song, Cryin’ Bird

Will McLean wrote hundreds of songs, poems and stories about Florida including, Hold Back the Waters, Seminole, Osceola, The Ballad of the Green Turtle (Conch Island), Tate’s Hell, and many others. Learn more about the Black Hat Troubadour at willmclean.com

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings: Video Highlights of Events at the MKR Historic State Park

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The late Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings is best known for her novel The Yearling which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1939 and was made into a major motion picture. She penned many other books including Cross Creek, South Moon Under, Golden Apples, The Sojourner and Blood of My Blood. Rawlings died on December 14th, 1953 but her legacy lives on and continues to inspire writers around the world. The farm is now a Florida State Park where thousands of people continue to visit the farm and community that inspired Rawlings’ literary works. The community service organization, “Friends of the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Farm,” works to support the needs of the park. For more information on the Friends of the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Farm go to MarjorieKinnanRawlings.org or follow the organization’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofMKR. You can view and listen to many of the organization’s activities below:

On December 12, 2021 The Friends of the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Farm sponsored the showing of the 1946 classic film, The Yearling, at the Marion Theatre in Ocala. It was the 75th anniversary of the premiere of the MGM award-winning film. Prior to the movie the audience was treated to an onstage interview with Claude Jarman, Jr. who played young “Jody” Baxter in the film.

Claude Jarman, Jr. interviewed by Donna Green-Townsend

On April 6th, 2021 documentary film producer Donna Green-Townsend talked with Claude Jarman, Jr. who played young “Jody” Baxter in the 1946 MGM film, The Yearling. The movie was based on Marjorie Rawlings’ Pulitzer Prize winning book. Jarman was a special guest on December 11th and 12th, 2021 in Cross Creek and Ocala, Florida as the Friends of the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Farm organization celebrated the 75th Anniversary of the Premiere of The Yearling.

The Yearling movie told the story of a pioneer family in the Florida Scrub of Marion County, Florida and starred actors Gregory Peck, Jane Wyman and young first-time actor, Claude Jarman, Jr.

The Yearling depicts the coming of age story of a young boy and his orphaned pet deer and the tough decisions his family had to make to survive. The movie received seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, taking home Oscars for Best Cinematography and Art Direction. Young actor Claude Jarman, Jr. won an Academy Juvenile Award.

Friends of the MKR Farm featured on WUFT’s Greater Good program

On March 26th, 2021 the Friends of the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Park was featured on WUFT-TV on the program, “Greater Good.” Here’s a link to the feature that aired.

In December of 2020 the park wasn’t able to have the usual holiday open house because of the pandemic. Instead, park staff and volunteers offered a virtual tour of Marjorie’s home all decked out for the holidays, just as Marjorie would have done when she lived there.

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ Cross Creek Christmas 2020

Marjorie and Me: Ron Haase Discusses Cracker Architecture and His Inspiration From Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

Ron Haase is Professor Emeritus at the University of Florida where he taught design and historic preservation. He is a specialist in the area of Florida vernacular architecture. Ron is also the author of the book, “Classic Cracker: Florida’s Wood-Frame Vernacular Architecture.” In this video he pays a visit to the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park and shares his personal inspiration from Rawlings writings. He tours MKR’s barn and home with Park Manager Scott Spaulding and shares his knowledge of “Classic Cracker Architecture.”

On August 8th, 2020 The Friends of the MKR Farm decided to have a virtual birthday party for Marjorie because of the pandemic. Below is a special video presentation offered online about the friends and neighbors of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings in Cross Creek. DVDs of the video are available to purchase for $20.00 plus $5.00 for postage and handling.  All proceeds will benefit projects on the farm.  Please make your check payable to Friends of the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Farm., and mail to PO Box 337, Micanopy, FL  32667-0337.

Life and Times in Cross Creek: Memories and Reflections

Celebrating MKR’s 123rd birthday (August, 2019)

The Pound Party Play

On May 4th, 2019 a variety of children participated in a play based on Chapter 4 of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ book, “Cross Creek.” The play was written by James M. Stephens. A variety of audience members took video of the play and this video is taken from what those audience members captured.

The event was sponsored by the Friends of the MKR Farm and the MKR Historic State Park in Cross Creek, FL. To learn about other future events check out the facebook page: The Friends of the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Farm. Cast members: Director- Scott Spaulding Cast Members: Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings- Samantha Briscoe Samuel Townsend – Lee Townsend Leila Townsend- Donna Green-Townsend Dorsey Townsend – Ty Briscoe Ella May Townsend – Abby Briscoe Floyd Townsend – Jaylen Riley Glenwood Townsend – Carter Cutter Preston Townsend- Lucas Wunner Beatrice Townsend – Emeline Floyd Baby Christine Townsend – Emery Swilley

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ Antiochers

Many of the Cross Creek, Florida friends Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings wrote about in her book “Cross Creek” are buried in the Antioch Cemetery near Island Grove, FL just east of Cross Creek. James M. Stephens has written what he thinks many of those friends would say about themselves and their relationship with the late Pulitzer-Prize-winning author. He shares those narratives in this unique walking tour of the Antioch Cemetery.

The Artistic Ties Between MKR and Robert E. Carson

Robert E. Carson was a professor of Humanities at the University of Florida from 1946-1971. Professor Carson, or “Doc” as many called him, was a self-taught artist who began in watercolors at the age of 35. In 1966 author Gordon E. Bigelow asked Carson to provide sketches for his book, Frontier Eden, The Literary Career of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. Following the publication of Bigelow’s book, the University of Florida asked Carson if he would be willing to provide tours of the late Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings home in Cross Creek. From 1968 to 1970 Carson and his wife Estelle stayed at the historic MKR home on weekends and served as the first hosts. Sadly, he died following a car accident leaving Cross Creek in 1971. Carson’s daughter, Elaine Carson Spencer shares how she is keeping her father’s legacy alive in this video about the artistic ties between her father and MKR.

Celebrating Marjorie’s 122nd Birthday at the MKR Historic State Park in August of 2018

Visitors who attended the 122nd Birthday Celebration for Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings in Cross Creek, FL in August of 2018 were treated to recipes from her Cross Creek Cookery book, music and tours of the farm. Volunteers with the Friends of the MKR Farm and staff from the MKR Historic State Park served up watermelon sherbet, mango ice cream and black bottom pie as well as birthday cake. Music was provided by Eli Tragash and Virginia Carr.

MKR friend Carol Fiddia Laxton Tours Historic Cross Creek Home

On March 3, 2018 Carol Fiddia Laxton toured the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Home in Cross Creek, FL. She had last visited the home when she was 18 years old many decades before. Her father wanted her to talk to Marjorie about what she was going to do after high school. Marjorie encouraged Carol to go to college for at least two years.

After touring Marjorie’s home, Carol Fiddia Laxton shared her memories of the late Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. Her talk was sponsored by the Friends of the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Farm organization and the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park. Carol’s father and grandmother were good friends of Rawlings. The late author lived with the family for a time to gather information for the books she was writing, including, “South Moon Under” and “The Yearling.”

Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of MKR’s Cross Creek and Cross Creek Cookery

Hotel Thomas Porch Party September 16th, 2017

Musicians, singers and dancers gathered at the Thomas Center in Gainesville, FL for the Hotel Thomas Porch Party on Saturday, September 16th, 2017. It was a part of the year-long 75th anniversary celebration of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings publications, “Cross Creek,” and “Cross Creek Cookery.” The family-friendly event treated guests to traditional music and dance—and some unconventional entertainment. Guests enjoyed music by Sam & Eden, as well as musical guests (and descendants of Cross Creek characters) Jessie & Lee Townsend, Andy Garfield and young performers from We the People Theatre, dancing, percussive dance demonstrations, crankie theatre, and an old-time music jam. And there were plenty of homemade pie by the Pie Gals.

Happy 121st Birthday Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings: August 5, 2017 Fish Fry Birthday Celebration

MKR and the Invasion of Privacy Trial

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The old Alachua County Courthouse in Gainesville, FL

The 1946 “Invasion of Privacy Trial” of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings vs. Zelma Cason has captivated lawyers and literary experts alike.  On June 18th thru June 20th, 2015 the public got a flavor of the famous trial  when the award-winning play by Larry Parr, “Invasion of Privacy,” took to the stage of the Fine Arts Hall at Santa Fe College.

It was after Marjorie Rawlings won the Pulitizer Prize for “The Yearling” that she continued her success with her book, “Cross Creek,” a book which captured what her life was like as well as her neighbors in the small fishing community.  But one friend of Rawlings, Zelma Cason, didn’t take “too kindly” to the way Rawlings described her in her book and decided to sue the famous author.  Click here to read more about this famous legal case.

Park Ranger Lee Townsend being interviewed on November 13th, 2009 at the MKR home about Marjorie’s life at the “Creek.”

Shelley-Fraser-MickleA True “Mother’s Day” Story About Romance in Cross Creek by Shelley Fraser Mickle

I have a friend who lives at Cross Creek. She moved there over a decade ago from up North, and she would have left probably any number of times except that she fell in love with a man from the Creek. And that made all the difference. Apparently men at the Creek take the romancing of a woman very seriously.

For instance, a first date might be only a midnight fishing trip under a full moon on Orange Lake. It might be a frog gigging, or a beer shared out on a wooden bench near the Creek until it is dark and quiet, so that then you can listen to the alligators bellow in Lochloosa.

 Click here to read more…

Cross Creek Summer

MKR on her porch

The first  weekend in August of 1997 kicked off the first annual Cross Creek Summer, Arts and Culture in Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ Florida.  Organizers hoped the week-long event would introduce people to the Florida Rawlings loved and attract those ecotourists looking for the real Florida. To hear the report produced by Donna Green-Townsend  Click here

50th Anniversary of “The Yearling” Celebration on the MKR farm in Cross Creek in April of 1988

In 1988 the community of Cross Creek, FL came together to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Pulitizer Prize Winning novel, “The Yearling,” by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. Not only did the event bring out a diverse group of Creek folks, but also noted entertainers and storytellers such as Cousin Thelma Boltin, and Florida Artists Hall of Fame winners Will McLean and Gamble Rogers. The video was captured on a VHS recorder by volunteers at the festival.

A conversation with Margaret Longhill about Will McLean

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Margaret Longhill

President Emeritus of the Will McLean Foundation, Margaret Longhill, is credited for her work helping to get the late Will McLean into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. McLean (1919-1990), considered the “Father of Florida Folk,” was inducted in 1996.

Shortly before his death, Longhill and some of McLean’s closest friends were instrumental in establishing the Will McLean Foundation, dedicated to promoting the work of Florida folk artists and passing along the state’s history through song for generations to come.  Longhill also spearheaded the creation of the Will McLean Music Festival.  The festival, a favorite for Florida songwriters, is held each March at the Florida Sand Music Ranch (formerly the Sertoma Youth Ranch) near Brooksville.

In January of 2016 multimedia producer Donna Green-Townsend sat down with Longhill to have a conversation about her efforts to keep Will McLean’s legacy alive as one of Florida’s premier songwriters and poets.

Click here to go to the Will McLean Festival website

 

 

As Hurricane Harvey barrels down on TX, FL remembers past history

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Hurricane Harvey on Friday, August 25, 2017 off the coast of Texas

Residents all along the coast of Texas are bracing for Hurricane Harvey expected to come ashore either late tonight or early Saturday morning. At 7:30 p.m. forecasters with the National Hurricane Center reported winds are sustained at 130 mph making Hurricane Harvey a category 4 storm.  Catastrophic flooding is expected due to heavy rainfall and storm surge.  The hurricane is moving to the northwest at 10 mph.

Hurricane Harvey 539 8 25 2017Because current weather patterns moving across the country will block the storm from moving north, weather specialists predict rainfall amounts could total as much as 35+ inches in areas closest to landfall and 15 to 20 inches in a widespread area of southern Texas. The system could also stick around until early next week and move along the Louisiana coast dumping more rain.  Mandatory evacuations are already in place and highways are packed with motorists fleeing inland ahead of the hurricane.

 

Boats washed ashore from Hurricane Hermine (photo credit AP)
Boats washed ashore from Hurricane Hermine (photo credit AP)

Floridians watching the reports about Hurricane Harvey headed toward Texas remember all too well the damage caused by last year’s Labor Day Hurricane Hermine  followed by Hurricane Matthew that skirted across a major section of the state’s east coast.

 

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Many beach communities are still recuperating from the beach erosion and damage caused by the storms to highways, roads, piers, homes and other infrastructure.

Twelve years ago Hurricane Wilma took a hard right-hand turn from the Yucatan and made a beeline for South Florida as a Category 3 storm with winds at 120 mph before it made landfall near Cape Romano, FL on October 24th, 2005.  Just a year before Wilma, 2004 became one for the history books as Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Jeanne and Ivan wreaked their havoc on the Sunshine State.

It was also 12 years ago on August 29th when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast near Buras, Louisiana and took its toll on New Orleans and the Mississippi coastline, becoming one of the most costly storms in U.S. history.  According to NOAA, the damage estimates from Katrina reached $108 billion dollars.  The official death toll from Katrina is 1,200 making it the 3rd deadliest storm in history behind the 1900 hurricane which hit Galveston, TX leaving 8,000 dead.  The 2nd deadliest storm was the Lake Okeechobee storm in Florida in 1928  killing approximately 3,000 people.

 

galveston
Scene from the aftermath of the 1900 hurricane that struck Galveston, TX

 

For Floridians who lived in South Florida during Hurricane Andrew, the thought of any tropical system brings back painful memories.

 

Hurricane Andrew, August 1992
Hurricane Andrew, August 1992

 

 

It was on August 24th, 1992 when the catastrophic storm struck Homestead and South Florida with winds of 150 miles an hour with gusts up to 175 miles an hour.  Andrew is listed as the 4th worst hurricane to hit the United States with a damage total of more than 25-billion dollars.  Nearly four dozen people were killed.

 

In 2011 Homestead resident (and former mayor) Steve Bateman, talked with Donna Green-Townsend about living through Hurricane Andrew and how Homestead has worked toward economic recovery.  At the time of the interview, Hurricane Irene was churning in the Atlantic. (from Donna’s audio archives).


truck carrying victims of 1928 hurricaneFlorida has experienced many devastating hurricanes through the years.  Some of the worst storms didn’t even have names.  The 1928 Category 4 storm that pushed Lake Okeechobee over its banks offically killed 3,000 people, but is believed by many to have drowned 4,000 souls.  Many were migrant workers who ended up in mass graves following the storm….some marked and some unmarked.  There are many accounts from people recalling the storm describing how they were tied to trees by their families so they wouldn’t be swept away.

The late singer songwriter Will McLean wrote his most famous song about that tragedy.  “Hold Back The Waters” has become somewhat of a Florida anthem in folk circles.  McLean was the first folk artist inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. See a video of the late singer-songwriter singing his famous song below:

 

 

The 1928 storm was before television and the weather channel so there was no real advance knowledge about the hurricane. It’s been written that the Seminoles living in Florida may have warned the storm was coming but people didn’t pay attention.  This storm is the reason there is now a dike all around Lake Okeechobee in South Florida. As the category 4 hurricane moved inland, the strong winds piled the water up at the south end of the lake.  Ultimately the weaker earthen levee gave way flooding an area 6 miles wide and 75 miles long.

Jessie and Lee Townsend Tribute CD now available

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Listen and Watch song samples from the new “Tribute” CD below:  The newest video just added is, “Lost Tourist’s Letter Home.”

tribute-cd-cover-front
Jessie and Lee’s CD is the newest professional recording for this sister/brother duet.

 

(To order a CD, please send $15.00 to:  Jessie Townsend,
13501 SE 171st Lane  Hawthorne, FL 32640)

lonesome-wind-blues-with-studio-audio-plus-added-mp4-still010
Jessie, Red and Chris Henry and David McBrady in the studio

Jessie and Lee Townsend  recently went back into the studio to record six more songs to add to their CD Sampler.  The CD will now have 12 songs and be titled, “Tribute” as it will have songs from several of Florida’s best songwriters past and present including Will McLean, Steve Blackwell, Jim Ballew, Dale Crider, Don Grooms and Ann Thomas to name a few.

 

lee-in-the-studio-mp4-still002
Lee Townsend in the studio

Below you will find music videos of six of the songs included on the project followed by audio samples from all of the songs on the CD including “Lost Tourist’s Letter Home,” written by the late Ann Thomas about a tourist travelling by bus from Boston who was headed to Miami, but got off in the Florida scrub by mistake; “Crying Bird,” written by the late Will McLean about the potential demise of the Florida Limpkin; “Lonesome Wind Blues,” written by the late Wayne Raney and made popular by the Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe; “When I Die” written by the late Jim Ballew; “Oh Kissimmee River” written by environmental troubadour Dale Crider from Windsor, FL and “Wild Birds” written by the late Don Grooms.

Jessie and Lee were joined in the studio for this CD by  Chris Henry (guitar, mandolin and vocal harmony), Red Henry (fiddle, mandolin and vocal harmony),  David McBrady (bass and vocal harmony), Jason Thomas (mandolin). Gabe Valla (rhythm guitar), Christian Ward (fiddle), Elisabeth Williamson (vocal harmony) and Lon Williamson (bass).  The lost tourist in the first video, “Lost Tourist’s Letter Home,” is portrayed by Harriett Meyer.

Lost Tourist’s Letter Home

Crying Bird

Lonesome Wind Blues

When I Die
 
 Wild Birds

Oh Kissimmee River

Song samples:

Jessie and Lee Townsend
Jessie and Lee Townsend (all photos by Donna Green-Townsend)

Kentucky Borderline (written by Rhonda Vincent and Terry Herd)  Performing on this fast-paced bluegrass tune that was the 2004 IBMA Song of the Year are Lee on banjo, Jessie singing the lead vocal, Jason Thomas on mandolin, Gabe Valla on rhythm guitar, Christian Ward on fiddle, David McBrady on bass and Elisabeth Williamson singing vocal harmony.

Bury Me Beneath The Willow This traditional bluegrass song features Jessie singing the lead vocal, Lee on guitar and David McBrady on bass and vocal harmony.

Nails In My Coffin (written by Gerald Irby) This song orginally written in 1946 features Lee on banjo and rhythm guitar, Jessie singing lead vocal, Elisabeth Williamson on vocal harmony, Christian Ward on fiddle and David McBrady on bass and vocal harmony.

If I Needed You (written by Townes Van Zandt) features Jessie singing the lead vocal, Lee on guitar, Christian Ward on fiddle, David McBrady on bass and Elisabeth Williamson and David McBrady on vocal harmony.

Lee and Jessie Townsend with David McBrady
Lee and Jessie Townsend with David McBrady performing Macclenny Farewell at the Will McLean Festival in March, 2016

Macclenny Farewell (written by Will McLean) This love song written by the late Father of Florida Folk features Jessie on the lead vocal, Lee on guitar and David McBrady on bass.

 

dsc_0050The Line (written by Steve Blackwell) The line was written by the late Steve Blackwell from Punta Gorda who penned this beautiful song about someone reflecting on all of the family members who have gone on before.  This rendition of the song features Jessie singing the lead vocal, Lee on guitar and Lon Williamson on bass.

Oh Kissimmee River (written by Dale Crider) Oh Kissimmee River written by environmental troubadour from Windsor, FL, Dale Crider, brings attention to the disastrous environmental effects of trying to straighten the Kissimmee River. This version features Jessie singing the lead vocal, Lee on banjo, Chris Henry on guitar, Red Henry on mandolin and David McBrady on bass.

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Withlacoochee River

When I Die (written by Jim Ballew) When I Die is one of the most beautiful songs ever written by the late Jim Ballew. It features Jessie on vocals, Lee on guitar, Chris Henry on mandolin, Red Henry on fiddle and David McBrady on bass.

 

 

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A Florida Limpkin

Cryin’ Bird (written by Will McLean) Cryin’ Bird by Will McLean brings attention to the potential extinction of Florida’s Limpkin because of the lack of food resources the Limpkin eats in the Wakulla River. Jessie sings vocal, Lee plays guitar, Chris Henry plays mandolin, Red Henry is on the fiddle and David McBrady is on bass.  Elisabeth Williamson adds vocal harmony.

Lonesome Wind Blues (written by Wayne Raney) Lonesome Wind Blues is a very traditional bluegrass song. It was originally recorded in 1947 by Wayne Raney and later made famous by the Father of Bluegrass Bill Monroe. In this version Jessie sings the vocals with harmony added by Chris and Red Henry.  Lee plays banjo, Chris Henry plays guitar, Red Henry is on the mandolin and David McBrady is on the bass.

Wild Birds (written by Don Grooms) Wild Birds is a love song written by the late Don Grooms. Jessie sings the vocals, Lee is on guitar, Chris Henry is on mandolin, Red Henry is on fiddle and David McBrady is on bass.

Lost Tourist’s Letter Home (written by Ann Thomas) In this tongue-in-cheek song the late Ann Thomas pokes fun at what a lost tourist would write home about if he or she got off a tour bus in the middle of Florida. Jessie sings vocals, Lee plays banjo, Chris Henry is on guitar, Red Henry is on mandolin and David McBrady is on bass

Jessie and Lee Townsend  DSC_0057

Jessie and Lee have been performing  for several years.  Venues have included the Florida Folk Festival, the Will McLean Festival, the Alachua and Micanopy Festivals, bluegrass events in Waldo, the Christmas Candelight program at Disney World and a variety of other church services and community events.

 To order a CD, please send $15.00 to:

Jessie Townsend
13501 SE 171st Lane
Hawthorne, FL 32640

To book Jessie and Lee for musical performances call 352-575-3042, or send an email to townsendjessie@gmail.com.

Lee and Jessie Townsend
Lee and Jessie Townsend