Hahira, GA, August 22, 2025 — You’ll hear seven songs written by eleven songwriters from Florida and Georgia, at WWALS River Revue, Saturday, September 6, 2025, Turner Center for the Arts, Valdosta, Georgia.

Flyer: WWALS River Revue 2025

Genres include Americana, blues, two folk songs, two bluegrass, and an American Folk Revival song. Topics range from Florida history to good times on the rivers to defending the Okefenokee Swamp.

Plus a sit-down catered meal, drinks, and a silent auction. With two speakers, from Florida and Georgia, and a headliner.

Follow this link for tickets, sponsorship opportunities, and more:
https://app.betterunite.com/WWALS-wwalsriverrevue2025

“Your ticket or sponsorship helps support everything WWALS does, from water quality tests to paddle outings and chainsaw cleanups, and beyond to advocacy to stop trash at its sources, strip mines, and pipelines. We work for water trails, solar power, and the Right to Clean Water, with growing engagement for youth and marginalized communities,” said organizing committee chair Sara Squires Jones. “Thanks to our sponsors so far (see the flyer). You, too, can be a sponsor! Or just join us for WWALS River Revue 2025.”

Rachel Grubb will headline, with her winning song from last year and her haunting encore.

These are the ten songwriter finalists, in alphabetical order, with a bit they wrote about themselves:

• Cindy Bear, Jacksonville, FL, cowriting a Folk song with Susan Grandy. “What do you get when you cross a Folkie with a Bluesman? You get Bear and Robert! Bear and Robert (row-bear) are Cindy Bear and Franc Robert, an award winning singer-songwriter duo.”
• Thomas J Brown, Dalton, GA, wrote a Blues song. “A retired educator, Tom Brown spends his time these days carving wooden spoons, building furniture, and playing music.”
• Saylor Dollar of Tallahassee, FL, wrote a Bluegrass song. “Saylor Dollar is a husband-and-wife duo hailing from Tallahassee, Florida, comprised of lifelong musicians Lisa and Dale Dollar. They are known for their original songs and eclectic Americana sound infused with elements of bluegrass, folk, and blues.”
• Sweet William Ennis of Palatka, FL, wrote a Folk song. “‘Sweet William’ Ennis is a singer-songwriter who has lived in Palatka Florida for over three decades. His personally original songs written over the span of fifty years covers multi genres and subjects including the environment, love & war with a heavy dose of Blues.”
• Joe First of Dowling Park, FL, wrote an Americana song. “I earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from The University of Florida.and then taught K-5 Elementary Music for 10 years in Alachua County, FL and 20 years in Pinellas County, FL I retired in 2007 and moved to Nashville, TN for 18 years. I returned to north Florida in 2023 and reside in the Advent Christian Village in Dowling Park, FL.”
• Bacon James of Gainesville, FL, wrote a Bluegrass song. “I’m a singer-songwriter and frequent supporter of environmental causes and organizations. I love being in nature, playing and writing music, and generally trying to be too clever for my own good.”
• Rena Ann Peck, Michelle Malone, and Jim Woodcox, of Atlanta, GA, wrote an American Folk Revival song. “Rena is an ecologist & Executive Director of Georgia Rivers. Michelle Malone is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Born and raised in Atlanta, she started performing in bands and writing songs as a teenager.”

Cindy, Billy, and Bacon have played with us before. Billy won overall in 2021.

MC Tim Carroll, a Valdosta City Councilman and former trumpet player, will guide us through WWALS River Revue.

Suzanne Welander will talk about fixing Georgia’s antique river navigability law and her book, Canoeing and Kayaking Georgia.

Rick Davis will talk about what the dozen downstream Florida counties are doing to deal with upstream contamination in the Withlacochee River.

Once the Headliner and the Finalists have played, three Judges will award a $300 First Prize, $50 for Best Song from Outside the Suwanee River Basin, and Plaques for Best Song in each Genre.

About WWALS: Since June 2012, WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc. (WWALS) is an IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity working for a healthy watershed with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable water.

Mission: WWALS advocates for conservation and stewardship of the surface waters and groundwater of the Suwannee River Basin and Estuary, in south Georgia and north Florida, among them the Withlacoochee, Willacoochee, Alapaha, Little, Santa Fe, and Suwannee River watersheds, through education, awareness, environmental monitoring, and citizen activities.

Our Watershed: The 10,000-square-mile WWALS territory includes the Suwannee River from the Okefenokee Swamp to the Gulf of Mexico, plus the Suwannee River Estuary, and tributaries such as the Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers as far north as Cordele in Georgia, as well as parts of the Floridan Aquifer, which is the primary water source for drinking, agriculture, and industry for millions of Georgia and Florida residents.

Suwannee Riverkeeper: Since December 2016, WWALS is the WATERKEEPER® Alliance Member for the Suwannee River Basin and Estuary as Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®, which is a project and a staff position of WWALS focusing on our advocacy.

Contact: John S. Quarterman
Suwannee Riverkeeper
song@suwanneeriverkeeper.org
850-290-2350

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