Tag Archives: Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest

Rachel Grubb Headlines Suwannee Riverkeeper Contest 2025

Suwannee Riverkeeper on Welcome to Florida podcast by Craig Pittman 2025-04-08

Thanks to Craig Pittman for inviting me on his Welcome to Florida podcast, Episode 250: The Suwanee River.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1169570/episodes/16921299

The Suwannee part starts 6:15.

He spells it Suwanee with one n.

Stephen C. Foster spelled it Swanee.

We talked about the Suwannee, Santa Fe, Alapaha, Withlacoochee, New, New, Little, and Little Rivers. About sewage and cow manure, fertlizer nitrates leaching into springs and rivers causing algae blooms, the Hamilton County phosphate mine, and Titanium dioxide mines in north Florida at the top of the Santa Fe River Basin and in south Georgia too near the Okefenokee Swamp. About leaping Gulf sturgeon, Alligator snapping turtles, and beavers.

And musicians, don’t forget to send in your song to the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, part of WWALS River Revue, September 6, 2025, at the Turner Center for the Arts in Valdosta, Georgia.
https://wwals.net/?p=67322

Suwannee Riverkeeper on Welcome to Florida podcast, by Craig Pittman, April 8, 2025

Best selling author, award winning reporter and Florida native Craig Pittman is joined by radio personality and Florida transplant Chadd Scott to discuss the state’s history, people, politics, environment, animals, current events and weirdness. You’ll hear great storytelling and have great fun in each weekly episode.

Show Notes Continue reading →

On The Spotlight Show, Talk92.1 FM: Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, WWALS River Revue, and Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2025-03-06

Join us on The Spotlight Show on talk921.com at 6 PM, Thursday, March 6, 2025.
https://talk921.com

Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman and “Diamond” Jim Halter will talk about

the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle on the Withlacoochee River, March 15,
https://wwals.net/?p=66833
the WWALS River Revue with the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, September 6,
https://wwals.net/pictures/songwriting2025
plus chainsaw cleanups, the Okefenokee Swamp, Ichetucknee Springs and River, and water quality testing.

Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, WWALS River Revue, etc. on The Spotlight Show, Talk921.com, Thursday, March 6, 2025, 6-7 PM

Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1164828191815898

-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

Food and drink, speakers and song: WWALS River Revue 2025

Hahira, Georgia, February 19, 2025 — Back again on the first Saturday in September, it’s the WWALS River Revue, at the Turner Center for the Arts in Valdosta, Georgia. Featuring food and drink, speakers and new songs about waterways in the Suwannee River Basin. Plus a silent auction and plaques and prizes for the songwriting winners.

WWALS River Revue 2025 logo

WWALS President Sara Jay Jones said, “it will be even more fun this year!”

There will be food and drink while you listen to speakers about the Suwannee River Basin.

You can bid on items in the silent auction.

Tickets are $65 each.
https://app.betterunite.com/WWALS-wwalsriverrevue2025

For how to sponsor or provide an item for the silent auction, follow the QRcode or go to wwals.net and scroll down to WWALS River Revue.

WWALS Board member Scotti Jay Jones said, “Don’t forget the music!”

A headliner will play, followed by finalists in the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest. Song submissions will open April First (no fooling). Three judges will decide who wins in several categories of songs about waterways in the Basin or Estuary.

Organizing Committee member Janet Martin said, “Maybe you’d like to join the organizing committee!”

Continue reading →

Thatcher Keeps the Music Coming –The Lookout Mountain Mirror 2024-09-07

Ferris Robinson, The Lookout Mountain Mirror, December 2024, Pages 18-19, Thatcher Keeps the Music Coming,

Lookout Mountain native and longtime Signal Mountain resident Robert Thatcher has always loved writing, poetry in particular. Coming from a very musical family, he probably learned to play the guitar before he learned to ride a bike. Those were always two separate activities, and Robert wrote poem after poem in various notebooks and on scrap sheets of paper and whatever was handy when the words came to him. And he has played guitar for a lifetime, strumming other folks’ songs.

Robert Thatcher and Tom Brown profiled in hometown paper, After winning prize in Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest

His uncle is the late legendary Fletcher Bright of The Dismembered Tennesseans fame, and his cousin is Frank Bright, a great musician and songwriter. Both encouraged Robert’s music, but Frank planted the seed that Robert might want to try writing some tunes on his own, something that simmered for a while on the back burner.

But then things changed when he went to college. Continue reading →

Videos: Rachel Grubb, Lake City, FL, First Prize, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2024-09-07

Back again after several years, Rachel Grubb came from Lake City, Florida, with her song, Cruising Down the Suwannee, and won not only Best Americana Indie-Folk Song, but also First Prize, in the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2024.

She got plaques for both, and a $300 check for First Prize.

Rachel Grubb, Lake City, FL, 2024-09-07, Best Americana Indie-Folk Song, First Prize: Cruising Down the Suwannee, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest

Here are videos of her song and her awards:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKwQ5xfKf-QwHgcxLdwOzUQNJDAj4zEi3&si=S6_kNrttvtPm5nd3 Continue reading →

Videos: David Rodock, Adel, GA, won Best Song from Inside the Suwannee River Basin 2024-09-07

David Rodock, from Adel, Georgia, played his song, “Monlight Echoes,” and won Best Pop Country Folk Song, and Best Song from Inside the Suwannee River Basin, in the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2024.

He got awards for both plaques, and a $100 check for Inside.

David Rodock, Adel, GA, Best Pop Country Folk Song 2024-09-07, Best Song from Inside the Basin, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest /p>

Here are videos of his song and his awards:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKwQ5xfKf-QzKf-RMAMhF8j3OPnpJ62uu&si=7Vs-eNyl88mbwESh

He got written up in his hometown newspaper: Continue reading →

Video: Sweet William Ennis, Catfish Stew (Suwannee River Blues), Best Blues Song, Best Song from Outside the Suwannee River Basin @ Suwannee River Songwriting Contest 2024

Sweet William Ennis, from Palatka, Florida, played his song “Catfish Stew (Suwannee River Blues)” and won Best Blues Song and Best Song from Outside the Suwannee River Basin, in the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2024.

He got awards for both plaques, and a $100 check for Outside.

Sweet William Ennis, Catfish Stew (Suwannee River Blues), Best Blues Song and from Outside, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2024

He wrote about himself:

“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 cover multi genres and subjects including the environment, love & war, with a heavy dose of Blues. 2019 quarter finalist in the Memphis International Blues Challenge, 2021 Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest First Prize winner and 2018 Santa Fe River Song Contest 3rd place winner, Sweet William is very active in the Florida music community and recognized for organizing volunteer music events supporting soup kitchens, assisted living facilities and worthy fund raisers.

Here’s a WWALS YouTube playlist of him playing his song, followed by WWALS President Sara Squires Jones awarding the prizes:
https://youtu.be/LFrDBfw1ni4?si=lyagdfgKlbSXDFvC

Videos by Doug Jipson for WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc.

Continue reading →

Video: Robert Thatcher and Tom Brown, Roll On, Echo River, Best Folk / Americana / Bluegrass Song @ Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2024 2024-09-07

Robert Thatcher, from Signal Mountain, Tennessee, and Tom Brown, from Dalton, Georgia, accompanied by Bob’s wife, played their song “Roll On, Echo River” and won Best Folk / Americana / Bluegrass Song in the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2024.

Robert Thatcher & Tom Brown, Roll On, Echo River, Best Folk / Americana / Bluegrass Song, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2024

These songwriters wrote about themselves, Continue reading →

Video: Bill Berry, The River, Best Americana Song @ Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2024

Bill Berry, from Valdosta, Georgia, accompanied by Luke Smith, played his song “The River” and won Best Americana Song in the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2024.

Bill Berry, The River, Best Americana Song, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2024

Bill Berry wrote about himself, “I’m 67, a native of Valdosta, a solo singer/ songwriter, and play guitar. I’ve been playing and writing for about 45 years.”

Here’s a WWALS YouTube playlist of Bill Berry and Luke Smith playing The River, followed by WWALS President Sara Squires Jones awarding the prize:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKwQ5xfKf-QzcEbP8eVTuYmdMe5cPRFgD&si=2BFQe168zq1wQhL2 Continue reading →

WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

A healthy watershed with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable water.