News and Events

  • By Johnny Cole Photos by Stephen Anderson The Southland Music Line is proud of our own roots here in the state of Mississippi, the “Birthplace of America’s Music.” For the past ten years, we have traveled across the entire southeastern region of the country, including Mississippi, in search of interesting stories and outstanding new music. Along the way, we have written about the rich musical heritage associated with the place…

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  • One of the most memorable things about this year’s Mississippi Songwriters Festival was the arrival of some very talented singer-songwriters from Sweden. The 2022 Festival will be remembered as the year “When Sweden Came to the Mississippi Songwriters Festival”. Prior to this year’s festival a group of songwriters from Mississippi traveled to Sweden to participate in the very first Mississippi/Sweden Songwriter Exchange program. Drew Young from New Orleans, now living…

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  • On the dates of Thursday, September 15 through Sunday, September 18, 2022, The Mississippi Songwriters Festival returned to the Gulf Coast for its 13th exciting year with songwriters from Mississippi, “The Birthplace of America’s Music”, Nashville “The Capital of Country Music”, across America, and as far away as Sweden. The festival is recognized for attracting accomplished songwriters from all over the world, yet never turning away anyone who is just…

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  • < Previous Page Steve Eriksson, Hilma & Izak Danielsson Kihlstrom at Grand Finale Hilma at Grand Finale Izak Danielsson Kihlstrom at Grand Finale Amy Lott at Grand Finale Double Dee (Darwin & Dana Nelson)Amy Lott & Bo Roberts at Grand Finale Bo Roberts, Amy Lott & Double Deeat Grand Finale Bob Regan at Grand Finale “Operation Song” empowers veterans, active-duty militarymembers and their families to tell their stories thoughthe process…

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  • On Saturday, September 17, 2022, the Mississippi Songwriters Festival held its annual Reggie Bates Memorial Scholarship Night. An event named for one of the co-founders of the Mississippi Songwriters Alliance who was posthumously inducted into the Mississippi Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020. Bates (born in Temple, Texas; growing up in Ardmore, Oklahoma) had a 43 year career in radio broadcasting and was a gifted songwriter with a deep love…

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  • On Friday, September 16, 2022, the Mississippi Songwriters Festival honored Joe Gilchrist, the longtime co-owner of the legendary Flora-Bama and the man whose love of music is credited as the driving force behind the Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival. The 80 year old Gilchrist died earlier this year on May 25. Gilchrist shared many tales of his career in “Bushwacked at the Flora-Bama,” a book published in 2012 by author…

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  • An Article by Johnny Cole Photos by Stephen Anderson Additional Editing by Brenda Germany On Thursday, September 15, 2022, the Mississippi Songwriters Hall of Fame held their annual induction ceremony at the Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Arts Center in Ocean Springs, MS for the 2022 honorees, which included Bobbie Gentry, Clay Mills, Conway Twitty, Hank Cochran, Robert Johnson and this year’s Contributors Award Recipient, Tommy Crawford. This fine class of…

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  • The 2022 Mississippi Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony was held on Thur. Sept. 15, 2022 at the Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Arts Center in Ocean Springs, MS. This year the Hall of Fame honored Bobbie Gentry, Clay Mills, Conway Twitty, Hank Cochran, Robert Johnson and Tommy Crawford. The following photos were taken by Stephen “Andy” Anderson (page edited and designed by Johnny Cole) Click Here for more details about…

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  • The 2022 Mississippi Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony was held on Thur. Sept. 15, 2022 at the Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Arts Center in Ocean Springs, MS. “Page Two”< Previous Page Rep. Greg Holloway accepting the award for the legendary Robert Johnson Darwin Nelson, Rep. Greg Holloway (Copiah County) and Scott Stradtner Tricia Walker performing “Ode to Billie Joe”by Bobbie Gentry Scott Stradtner with Rep. Jon Lancaster (Chickasaw County)…

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  • An Article by Johnny Cole Photos by Stephen Anderson Great music should be honored and cherished. The Southland Music Line is privileged to live in a region of the country where such music has a deep-rooted history and legacy admired by millions from around the globe. In my travels around the world, I’ve met people from Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Japan and elsewhere who are enthusiastic to learn that…

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