Description:  The second day of the Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival is Friday, October 6, 2023 and Bamboo Willie's is a featured venue.
                   
Friday's Schedule:

7:00 PM on the Bamboo Willie's Stage

Kim Carson

Kim Carson, “The Honky Tonk Queen of New Orleans”.

Kim Carson was born in Oklahoma, raised in Texas, and lives in New Orleans. She has a lot of influences in her brand of Louisiana Tonkabilly music, including Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Buck Owens, Waylon Jennings, and Ray Price.

Kim performs her original songs with some Classic Twang. Kim Carson is surely a “one-of-a-kind artist” and has been named “Best Country Artist” by the readers of OffBeat Magazine eight times. She has performed 23 times at the most prestigious “Jazz Heritage Festival” in New Orleans and is a regular performer at the French Quarter Festival and many festivals across the south.

Kim and her band, The Real Deal” play Roadhouse and Honky Tonks from Luckenbach, Texas, to the Florida panhandle. Kim is also an Ambassador of the New Orleans music scene, touring Europe since 2000 with her band, headlining festivals and Music Clubs across Europe in Germany, Switzerland, France, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Spain, Italy, Ireland, and England.

After building a name for herself as the undisputed “Queen of Louisiana Honky Tonk Music,” she has distinguished herself as a formidable Country & Honky Tonk Songwriter. Kim Carson has released 13 albums to date available on iTunes and CDBaby, Pandora, and Spotify. Her soon-to-be-released cd, “Open Up the Honky Tonks”, was recorded with Texas Pedal Steel legend and producer, Tommy Detamore, and will be released in 2023.

Elaine Petty
Elaine Petty is a singer/ songwriter making her home right here on the Gulf Coast. A long time favorite of the Flora Bama where she got inspired to begin writing her own music such as “Wildlife” “Nannie’s House” and “I must’ve been a jukebox”. She is “Lovin life in paradise”. 


Donna Slater

Donna Slater’s vocal style is best described as pure Americana and is the perfect complement to her songwriting. Donna’s spirit shines strongly through her originals as she ventures into reflections on navigating life’s challenges and temptations. Her new album of originals, “Let it Burn” is available on all digital platforms.8:00 PM on the Bamboo Willie's Stage

Austin Forman

Austin Forman, born and raised in Pensacola FL, has been writing songs since he was 10 years old. He prides himself on writing country music that comes from his heart and fills each line with as much passion as he can. After the songs “That B*tch Carole Baskins” went viral and landed him national attention he met Bobby Walkup and together they wrote Austin’s next viral hit “Pallets Full Of Ballots” after the 2020 election. Since then, Austin has written or co-written multiple songs that have appeared on the iTunes Charts over the past 3 years and continues to write new music every day.

Bobby Walkup

Bobby was born in Nashville, Tn. in 1991. His father Robert Wayne worked and played at The Nashville Palace. Music has always been a part of the family. Bobby moved to the Gulf Coast when he was 5 years old with his family and now lives in Navarre FL where he manages artists, books shows and writes songs. Bobby had a song go viral on TikTok, “Every Light On My Dash Is On”, a parody of Trace Adkins hit “Every Light in the House is On”. He also did a Parody to Morgan Wallen’s hit song”Last Night”; and currently has over 8 million views on TikTok.

9:00 PM on the Bamboo Willie's Stage

Bridgette Tatum
In 2009, this native of Florence, South Carolina, co-wrote the Most Played Song on Country radio stations across the United States. A tremendous achievement for any songwriter, the song, “She’s Country” (recorded and released by Platinum-selling country superstar Jason Aldean), held the #1 position on the chart for two consecutive weeks, reached 1+ million plays and outsold every genres ringtones.

In 2010, Tatum’s song, “Loud” was selected as the Official Theme Song for ACC Football’s 2010 Season. This fast-paced anthem celebrated the excitement and energy of ACC Football, captured in a raucous music video that was seen in all ACC Markets, resulting in exposure for Bridgette totaling over 27 million households.

Add to these accolades Tatum’s own Album released on all platforms, her single releases (I like My Cowboy’s Dirty, That’s Love Y’all, Hillbilly Rockstar) Gretchen Wilson's single, (Summertime Town from “Ready to get Rowdy”), Randy Houser (Fired Up 2016), Kristy Lee Cook (Lookin’ for a Cowgirl), The Farm (Farm Party), and George Clinton cuts, you have the makings of a woman building a sustainable music career for a lifetime of success.

Bridgette has also been rounding out her production hat with sister duo “The Lockets”, along with producing Uncle Si & The Sicotics. (Duck Dynasty) and many more! Recently Artist Ashley Cooke (Tik-Tok artist and 615 House founder) recorded and released “Jealous of the Sky” (co-written with Bridgette) and influenced over 1 million viewers/listeners.

Bridgette recently launched SoNash Publishing (with partner T-Ray) and has signed Emma Zinck and Seth Michael as their flagship Artist/Writers.While Bridgette continues to create music, she balances it with her charitable work within The Charley Foundation (www.charleyfoundation.org), and donates her time and talents to various charities around the Middle Tennessee area. “If it’s real and you are making it honest, that’s what makes people connect to the music .” With unfailing honesty and a penchant for risk-taking, Bridgette Tatum is storming the scene on her own terms and winning fans at every turn.

Lance Carpenter
Lance Carpenter is here to help. The big-hearted Arkansas farm kid with a voice to match chose a career in service to others (FEMA, Federal Emergency Management Agency) Amid the considerable stress and turmoil attending that job, he found that the music he loved was able to quiet his mind and focus his heart. Slowly and unintentionally, the power of crafting lyrics and melody drew Lance in a new direction. (Nashville, TN) The journey took him from self-taught hobbyist and therapeutic outlet to commuted songwriter and Nashville-based professional hitmaker.

Lance’s songs have been recorded by Kelsea Ballerini, Dylan Scott, Tyler Farr, Richie McDonald of Lonestar, Julia Cole, Todd Tilghman, and more. As an artist, Lance’s debut single Anyone Else which was a duet with Krystal Keith, earned him a record deal with ShowDog Nashville, owned by country superstar Toby Keith in 2017.

On top of being a successful artist and songwriter, Carpenter started a company called Music Row Coach, whose mission is to help songwriters and artists learn, grow, and excel in the music business. 

Payton TaylorPayton Taylor writes from the heart and sings from an old soul with a voice that is resolute, both on and off stage. The American Idol alum is country roots steeped in blues, in the spirit of artists from Eva Cassidy to Emmylou Harris. Written with a wisdom that belies her age, her songs are sung with a candor that is unmistakably hers. Payton has played prestigious performances at the Ryman Auditorium, the Grand Ole Opry, and The Bluebird Cafe. With a captivating voice that crosses oceans, Payton was honored in 2021 to be part of the inaugural lineup at the Nashville Nights International Songwriters Festival in Denmark. You can find Payton in your local music store on the cover of Hohner Harmonica’s ‘Pentaharp’.