MerleFest 2007 songwriting contest finalists announced

Wednesday, March 28, 2007 – Finalists in the MerleFest 2007 songwriting contests were announced in the general, country, bluegrass and gospel categories. The finals will be held during MerleFest on April 27. Contest chairperson Jim Lauderdale and his committee evaluated 1,088 submitted songs to pick the dozen finalist songs, 3 in each of the 4 categories. Their composers will perform them in the finals.

General Category Finalists: "Crayola Doesn't Make a Color for your Eyes" by Kristin Andreasson, Watertown, Mass., who is a member of Uncle Earl; "Am I Still" by John and Michelle Law and Reggie Hamm, Seeley's Bay, ON, Canada; "My Brother Paul and Me" by Ronnie King, Ravenna, Ky.

Country Category Finalists: "Operation: Get Back Home" by Dyle Russell, Winston-Salem, N.C.; "The Roadkill Bill" by Brant Miller, Dave Woodward and Don King, Nashville; "Crawl into the Bottle" by John Milne, Villa Park, Ill.

Bluegrass Category Finalists: "Enough of You" by Jeanette Williams, Danville, Va.; "The Devil's Road" by Mark Brinkman, Pickerington, Ohio; "Midnight Blues" by George and Jo Ellen Doering, Los Angeles

Gospel Category Finalists: "Blessed be that Day" by Korby Lenker, Seattle; "Now" by Laura Kaufman, Boone, N.C.; "It's Like Rain" by Wesley Koontz, Lexington, N.C.

James Nash, Sarah Hawker, Pat Flynn, and Holly Lowman will judge the finals.