True friend of the fest, songwriters and music creators everywhere. Just one of the gang. Thanks you Boomer! Award presented Saturday, June 1, 2013 8pm Music Row Best Western.

Played on recording sessions for Pop, Country, and R&B artist such as;  Linda Ronstadt, Vic Dana, Lola Folana, Kenny Rodgers, Merilee Rush, Michael Martin Murphy, George Hamilton, Tammy Wynette, David Alan Coe, Johnny Rodriguez, George Jones, Dorsey Burnette, Johnny Paycheck, Patti Page, Johnny Lee, Roy Clark, Mel Tillis, Earl Scugges, Trini Lopez, Dave Dudley, Hoyt Axton, Big Al Downing, Gerry Mulligan, and many more.

L. Russell Brown is an American lyricist and composer whose music career began at the age of 16.

With the desire to see more of the world, Brown joined the United States Army. It was during his military service when Brown met Raymond Bloodworth, who quickly became his singing and songwriting partner. Calling themselves the Distant Cousins, Brown and Bloodworth toured European military bases and won every USO contest they entered. After being discharged, the Distant Cousins played the New York City circuit and made their first recording, "To Have and to Hold." It was this recording that caught the attention of Four Seasons' producer Bob Crewe, who signed the pair in 1964.

Since then, Brown's musical talent has been shared with countless musicians and showcased in various films such as Forrest Gump, An Officer and a Gentleman, and Fargo. One of his first hit songs, "C'mon Marianne," plays a pivotal part in the highest-grossing musical of all time, Jersey Boys.

For fifty years now, Loretta has fashioned a body of work as artistically and commercially successful—and as culturally significant—as any female performer you'd care to name. Her music has confronted many of the major social issues of her time, and her life story is a rags-to-riches tale familiar to pop, rock and country fans alike. The Coal Miner's Daughter—the tag refers to a hit single, an album, a best-selling autobiography, an Oscar-winning film, and to Lynn herself—has journeyed from the poverty of the Kentucky hills to Nashville superstardom to her current status as an honest-to-goodness American icon.

Born May 25, 1936 in Olive Hill, Kentucky. Tom T. is an American country balladeer, songwriter, and country singer. He has written 11 #1 hit songs, with 26 more that reached the Top 10, including the pop crossover hit "I Love", which reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

DAVID ALLAN COE, the Ultra-Long-Haired, Tatoo'd, "Over-The-Top," Mysterious, Country Music Outlaw who said, "Take This Job and Shove It."

"Coe is always willing to talk about the success of other writers in the business on his concert stage to acknowledge those who helped such as Johnny Cash. Coe takes the time to give the songwriter recognition on stage during his performances to reminds us of the songwriter's contribution to the music industry!"~ Cherokee Mangus

At our very first festival, I met a man backstage at Lorretta Lynns Ranch. He told me he had had a stoke 4 years earlier and had resigned life to sitting on his sofa, waiting to slowly die. Bob said he had seen one of our advertisments on TV and called to get in on the fest. I barely remember taking that call in the business of planning a festival, unaware of what's to come....