BRISTOL, Tenn.-Va. (Oct. 14, 2024) – The Birthplace of Country Music Museum invites music lovers to a “Songwriter in the Round” event at 7 p.m. EDT, Oct. 17. This special evening, presented in partnership with The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail, will feature talented songwriter-musicians Linda and David Lay, Sandy Shortridge, and Rafe Van Hoy. Tickets to the event are $15 (+Bristol, Va. admission tax, ticketing agent fee).
During the event, each artist will perform 3-4 songs in a round-robin format, sharing insights into their songwriting processes, inspirations, and experiences in the music industry. In addition to an exceptional night of music, this unique event offers a deeper understanding of the craft of songwriting.
Bluegrass singer and bassist Linda Lay has performed with a number of artists including Vern Gosdin, Carl Jackson, Bruce Hornsby, John Cephas and Bill Kirchen. Linda is a master artist in traditional singing for the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and has toured the country as a featured vocalist and bassist with Masters of the Steel String Guitar. Together with Sammy Shelor, Linda recorded “Taking the Crooked Road Home” for the Virginia Folklife Program.
Sandy Shortridge, a guitarist and exceptional baritone singer, is a native of Southwest Va. and featured on “A Treasury of American Music,” a compilation of 50 current artists from The Crooked Road region. She and her husband “Big Al” Wheetley co-host the WBCM Radio Bristol original program “The Big Al & Sandy Show” on Saturdays at 1 p.m.
Rafe Van Hoy is an in-demand songwriter and producer who written has written 10 number one songs and as many top 10 singles, along with nearly 200 cuts for artists including George Jones and Tammy Wynette, the Oak Ridge Boys, Michael Martin Murphy, John Conlee, Patti Loveless, Reba McEntire, Fleetwood Mac, Diana Ross, Isaak Hayes, and many more. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2023.
“Songwriters in the Round” is complimentary programming to the special exhibit “Songwriter Musician: The Photographs of Ed Rode,” a stunning documentary of portraits featuring a wide range of artists including Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Taylor Swift, and many more. Event attendees are encouraged to tour the exhibit prior to the concert.
Special thanks to the Massengill-DeFriece Foundation for their generous support of “Songwriter Musician.” For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.