Chris Austin
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The 17th annual Chris Austin Songwriting Contest, held during
MerleFest 2009 has announced this year’s winners.
The following six writers have now joined an elite group of
previous winners, which includes Gillian Welch, Tift Merritt,
Michael Reno Harrell, Adrienne Young, Martha Scanlan, David
Via and Johnny Williams:
Bluegrass Category
“Love Gone By” by Carol Hausner and Colin McCaffrey
of Montpelier, Vt.
Country Category
“Man of Few Words” by Dennis K. Duff of Kuttawa,
Ky.
Gospel Category
“Beyond the Rain” by Brink Brinkman of Pickerington,
Ohio
General Category
“Unmarked Pavement” by Miles and Letha Costin
of Raleigh, N.C.
These first place winners performed their winning songs on
the Cabin Stage at MerleFest on Friday, April 24, and they won
an acoustic guitar, a check for $300, two boxes of D’Addario
strings and a one-year subscription to Acoustic Guitar magazine.
Three finalists were chosen in each category, out of more
than 840 entries received this year. All finalists performed
their songs on the Austin Stage on Friday, April 24, before
winners were selected. Second and third place winners in
each category were awarded performance slots on the Friday night
Songwriters Coffeehouse, as well as cash prizes, D’Addario
strings and Acoustic Guitar subscriptions.
Songs were judged by a volunteer panel of songwriters, publishers
and other music industry professionals including singer/songwriter
and former CASC winner Tift Merritt, Leonard Podolak of The
Duhks, and John Lohman, program director of the Virginia Folk
Life Program at the Virginia Foundation of the Humanities, under
the direction of this year’s volunteer contest chairman,
Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale. Judging
was based on a song’s originality, lyrics, melody and overall
commercial potential.
Net proceeds from the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest support
the Wilkes Community College Chris Austin Memorial Scholarship.
Since its inception, the scholarship has awarded more than $25,000
to 68 deserving students.
The 2008-09 recipients are Ryan Jeffery Call and Kimberly
Ilene Osborne. Call is enrolled in WCC’s college transfer
program with plans to transfer to North Carolina State University
for the completion of his bachelor’s degree. Osborne is
enrolled in WCC’s office systems technology program.
MerleFest would like to thank the following sponsors of the
Chris Austin Songwriting Contest: Fishman Acoustic Power, D’Addario
Strings, Acoustic Guitar, and Epiphone. The Austin Stage is
sponsored by ASCAP and Sugar Hill Records.
About Chris Austin
Chris Austin, from Boone, worked as a sideman for Ricky Skaggs
for three years, singing and playing guitar, banjo, mandolin
and fiddle.
During that time he was discovered by executives at Warner
Bros. Nashville, which offered him a recording contract. While
releasing singles, including “Blues Stay Away From Me,”
“I Know There’s a Heart in There Somewhere” and
“Out of Step,” Austin also developed his songwriting
skills, as evidenced in “Same Ol’ Love,” recorded
by Skaggs in 1991.
On March 16, 1991, Austin’s life was cut tragically short
when the private plane carrying him and six other members of
Reba McEntire’s band, as well as her tour manager, crashed
in the mountains near San Diego, Calif.
Pete Fisher, then of Warnersongs and currently general manager
of the Grand Ole Opry, and Kari Estrin, then MerleFest consultant
and Pickin’ for Merle video associate producer, initiated
the songwriting contest to honor Austin’s memory.
About MerleFest
MerleFest 2009, presented by Lowe’s, took place from
April 23-26, drawing more than 70,000 music fans over the four
days of performances by almost 100 artists on 15 stages on the
campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro.
MerleFest honors the memory of instrumental virtuoso Eddy
Merle Watson and the contributions of Doc Watson and the entire
Watson Family to the musical traditions of the region and nation.
MerleFest began in 1988 as a fundraiser for the college and
remains the largest fundraiser for the institution.
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