You can bet 10 people just tuned up theirguitars and practiced their best original song. Those would be the 10 songwriters who just received word they have been invited to perform before contest judges and the audience at the finals of the Second Annual Ruby Allmond Songwriting Contest set for 7:00 p.m. Saturday, August 6.
Ruby Allmond, a native of Bailey, Texas, wrote the top-10 country classic, "Reno," which was recorded by Dottie West and produced by Chet Atkins.
This annual contest pays homage to Allmond's legacy and hopefully inspires another generation to continue to perform original music.
"Ruby said, 'Some of my greatest memories are the admiration of my music by others,'" recalls close friend and musical collaborator, Audra Brock. "So our contest is passing this encouragement on to these writers."
Allmond would probably be interested to know that a pair of the top-10 finalists have connections to her hometown of Bailey and that two more come from nearby Dodd City.
Songwriters from Austin, Greenville, Wichita Falls, Lake Dallas, San Antonio and even the Sunshine State of Florida will be making tracks for Fannin County to compete for prize money and studio time.
Doors open 6:00 p.m. Saturday, August 6, 2011, at Bailey Inglish Auditorium and the contest gets underway at 7:00 p.m. This event is free.
The 10 finalists in order are:
1.Callie Maxwell -“Callie’s Yodeling Song" Dodd City, TX
2. Michael Waid - “Abilene” San Antonio, TX
3. Juli Wild - “Little Dance” Dodd City, TX
4. Kevin Daniel Smith - “If Texas Ain’t Heaven” Austin, TX
5. Jimmy Don Freeman - “I Love You, I Really Do” Greenville, TX
6. Casie Luong - “Take It Slow” Wichita Falls, TX
7. Gary Hamilton - “Heartline To You” Bailey, TX
8. Janet Leslie Reynolds - “I Don’t Think That’s The Truth” - Florida
9. Jill Hobbs -“One-Way Glass” Hawkins, TX
10. Wylie Mark Wilson - “Red River County” Lake Dallas, TX
Then, as the judges take a few minutes to decide this year's top three contestants, last year's winner, L.A. Petty, will present a medley of songs by Ruby Allmond: “If I Knew Which Road He Took,” “Gray Horse Of Another Color” and “I’ll Be Your Love."
Dylan and Carol Jones, Ruby’s grand-nephew, will announce the winners and award prizes.