Five talented singer-songwriters of East Texas are brought together for a Texas Songwriter Showcase on The Bowery Stage in Winnsboro from 7 to 9 p.m. August 30.
Lynn Adler, Meredith Crawford, Kate Kirby, Sharon Walker, and Katie Wallace all have their own fan base as they play and share their original songs around the Upper East Side of Texas and beyond. Many fans follow more than one of them so getting to see them together in one show is a real treat. It is rare to see this much feminine musical energy on the same stage in the Upper East Side of Texas so audience members, familiar with them or not, are sure to be inspired.
Lynn Adler’s soulful voice is well known and coveted in Winnsboro. She and her partner, Lindy Hearne, opened Crossroads Music Company there many years ago sharing their music with crowds as well as bringing top performers to their adopted hometown including Kacey Musgraves, Billy Joe Shaver, Kinky Friedman, and Pauline Reese. That venue eventually merged with Winnsboro Center for the Arts.
Adler & Hearne were on the Texas Commission for the Arts official Texas Touring Roster for 10 years and have performed together and solo all over the United States. They continue to write songs, teach, and perform regionally from time to time while running their Spring Hollow Organic Song Farm and Guesthouse near Winnsboro. Keep up with all the things happening with this dynamic duo on www.AdlerAndHearne.com
County Line Magazine writers started following Meredith Crawford when she was just 16 years old after winning a Texas Talent Search Contest held in Canton. She took some time off from her music career while starting a family and went to school to become an accountant. Her talent has only gotten better over the years with a penetrating voice, soul-stirring songs, and moving lyrics that capture her audiences to the core. Besides joining the impressive list of singer-songwriters in Winnsboro, her summer touring schedule takes her to Hico, Ben Wheeler, Aransas Pass, Conroe, Lockhart, and other Texas venues with the good sense to get her there.
Kate Kirby grew up with music and arts around her and she studied piano and French Horn before starting to perform professionally in college. She sang back up for bands in Dallas in the late 1990s and fronted a band called Kansas City and the Fastback Horns. She met her partner Andrew in grade school but didn’t really connect until much later when they met again in a music store in North Dallas in 1997. Together they perform as a duo, The Kirbys, or add members to form a full band. They operate the Big Sandy Music Hall, an old church building in Big Sandy, Texas, where they perform and host shows. They teach and are touring this summer in California, Arizona, and Colorado. Closer to home, they’ll be at GZ Asian Bistro in Longview and The Barrel House in Winnsboro before Kate joins the group on The Bowery Stage.
Sharon Blu Walker, is a well-known performer sharing her eclectic style in song circles and on stages in the Upper East Side of Texas. She started her musical interests when she was introduced to a guitar at the age of 14. Her first song was titled “The Whole Damn Nation,” a response to an unrest world she was seeing in the late 1960s. She’s been telling stories through her songs now for more than 50 years, placing herself in an out of the box genre that includes influences of American Roots, classic country, 70s folk, and Delta blues.
Katie Wallace is a singer-songwriter who quickly lines up new fans everywhere she plays. She is found these days in venues across the region “weaving tales of love, life, and the timeless spirit of country music” and was recently featured on PBS’ The Great American Folk Show. Her songwriting gained recognition when she wrote lyrics and melodies on tracks Two Lovebirds in a Cage, Baby I’m Ok and Cathedral for Grammy-nominated artist Kadebostany. She also is the front woman and lyricist for the band Foxy & the Hares. This earned Katie features in Vogue Italia and placements for her songs on popular TV shows such as MTV’s Catfish, Teen Mom, Project Runway, the film Game Of Love and landed her on the official Teen Mom 2: Season 8 Official Playlist. Katie writes, records and produces all of her music alongside her husband Coleby Arnett in their recording studio, “222 Recording Studio” in Alba, Texas. Together they perform as a family trio with Katie on the bass, Coleby on the pedal steel/guitar and her brother in law Dalton Arnett on the drums.
For tickets to this special Texas Songwriter Showcase, go to www.winnsborocenterforthearts.com.
