Songwriters in the Round features popular artists telling their stories in song

The art of storytelling takes many forms, one of them being songwriting.  As a part of this year’s Literary Fest, a Songwriters in the Round performance is set Thursday, August 24, 6:30 at the Union County Heritage Museum in New Albany. The event is free.

Included in the line up is Libby Rae Watson, a blues musician born in Pascagoula, Mississippi.  Her distinctive voice, storytelling, and finger style picking has attracted fans worldwide. She has dedicated her musical life to educating the world about Mississippi’s musical history.

Her albums include two early releases of original Gulf Coast music with her band The Liberaetors followed by the 2013 release of a solo album Sweet ‘n’ Salty, a 2016 release of Times Ain’t Now Like They Used to Be, a collaboration with the Jericho Road Show, and a 2017 release of I Done Told Ya with Wes Lee as the duo Sweet ‘n’ Salty. Libby Rae has performed at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the King Biscuit Festival, and the Juke Joint Festival. She was a finalist at the International Blues Challenge in 2018 and a semi-finalist in 2015 and 2016. In 2016, she was awarded Artist of the Year by the Delta Blues.

Paul Tate, from New Albany, has a long musical career locally and abroad.  A multi-instrumentalist, Tate has been creating music for decades. He performs solo as well as with more than one band.  From piano to guitar to vocals, Tate’s music is fits into the sound scape nicely.  You may have heard him on Thacker Mountain Radio, where Paul is the front man for the house band, The Yalobushwhackers. Tate has a master’s degree in Music Theory from the University of Memphis. His music has won the hearts of North Mississippi as the Tupelo Daily Journal’s Reader’s Choice Awards named the band “Best Local Band” in 2017. In 2018, they were named the “Best Wedding Band” in the Daily Journal’s Bridal Edition. From Jazz, Blues, Rock, Pop, R&B.

Bob Ray – is an award winning singer-songwriter from the hills of north Mississippi. He performs solo and with the band Tom Foolery. Twice named a Kerrville New Folk-Songwriting Finalist, he was also a finalist in the Ozark Folk Festival Songwriting Festival, the Yoknapatawpha Art’s Council’s “Small Hall” Songwriter’s Festival & The Gum Tree Song Festival.  He has performed at The Memphis Music & Heritage Festival, The Mississippi Songwriter’s Festival, The New Orleans Song Festival, The Highway 80 Songwriter’s Festival, The Nashville Songwriter’s Festival & The Frank Brown International Songwriter’s Festival among many others and has shared stages with Marty Stuart, Paul Thorn, Kate Campbell & Rhiannon Giddens, et. al. His songs have been featured on “Folk Sampler,” “Grassroots,” and Radio Free Texas playlists.

Donny Roye is a talented multi-instrumentalist from Pontotoc.  He has recently released a new CD “Out on the Highway” with original songs.  He plays solo as well as with the band Porch Rockers, an acoustic harmonizing group – who also plug in and rock. Roye performs in and out of the north Mississippi area.  You may have seen him on the bluegrass scene or elsewhere with a folk-rock vibe.  He performs at regional festivals as well as other venues through North Mississippi.

This event is made possible by the museum’s Community Partners, the Mississippi Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.  It is one of the events of the New Albany Literary Fest.

The museum is located at 114 Cleveland Street in New Albany. For more information call the museum at 662-538-0014 or email uchm@ucheritagemuseum.com.

Jill Smith, Director

Union County Heritage Museum

114 Cleveland Street

New Albany, MS 38652