Bluegrass Songwriting News

About the time that Tom T and Dixie Hall were being announced as new members of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame on Wednesday – cause for joy for songwriters everywhere – the writing community was hit with sad news.

Beloved bluegrass songwriter Pete Goble died today in Michigan. He was 86 years of age. Excluding Bill Monroe, Carter Stanley, and Flatt & Scruggs, it is unlikely that anyone has contributed as many songs to the bluegrass canon as Pete. Both

Home in the Mountains was written by Rick Stanley, a cousin of bluegrass master Ralph Stanley and the husband of Donna Ulisse, a prolific songwriter in her own right. He was just 15 years old at the time it was

Noted bluegrass songwriter Rick Lang, and his wife, Wendy, have endowed a scholarship for students in the Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies program at East Tennessee State University who have an interest in songwriting. Their gift will allow for

The winners of the 2018 Circa Blue Fest Songwriting Contest have been announced ahead of next weekend's festival in Martinsburg, WV. The competition is open each year to bluegrass songwriters who receive less than 50% of their income from songwriting royalties,

The International Bluegrass Music Association has announced the participants in their 2018 Songwriters Showcase, to take place in Raleigh, NC during the World Of Bluegrass convention in September. The Showcase puts the selected writers in front of dozens of artists, producers,

Reflections of Love was written by Paul Adkins, Fred Travers and Ron Pennington, the last two being part of the Borderline Band led by Adkins.  As the trio worked together beginning 1988 or 1989 there were plenty of opportunities for them

Bluegrass songwriters have until midnight May 15 (Eastern time) to submit entries for the second annual Circa Blue Fest Songwriting Contest. The contest is held in conjunction with the 3rd Annual Circa Blue Fest, June 7-10, in Martinsburg, WV. Cash prizes

Friday afternoon at MerleFest, the finals were held for the 2018 Chris Austin Songwriting Contest. Finalists had been announced earlier this month, chosen from among the hundreds of submissions received during the eligibility period. Yesterday the writers performed their songs before

The finalists for the 2018 Chris Austin Songwriting Contest have been announced this morning. Sponsored and run by MerleFest, this competition has become the crown jewel for aspiring writers, both for the generous cash prizes awarded to the winners, and