BMI Celebrates 30th Anniversary Of Key West Songwriters Festival

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The Brummies. Photo: Carol Tedesco for BMI

The 30th annual Key West Songwriters Festival, presented by BMI, brought five days of sunshine and storytelling to the island last week (April 29 – May 3).

The festival offered more than 80 shows across five days with over 250 BMI multi-genre creators participating.

ERNEST. Photo: Carol Tedesco for BMI

Early highlights included Wednesday’s “Sunset Pier Kick Off Party” at the Ocean Key Resort & Spa hosted by Storme Warren with performances by DJ Smoke, The Brummies and Jeffrey Steele. Steele dedicated his hit “What Hurts The Most” to the late Ronnie Bowman, a beloved festival regular since 2017. Following the festival’s launch, fans sold-out the Key West Theater for a distinguished lineup featuring Ashley Cooke, Thomas Edwards, Aaron Raitiere, Tyler Reeve and James Slater.

The momentum carried into Thursday with multiple rounds hosted poolside at several island venues, including The Marker Resort and La Concha Hotel, where Bryan Frazier, Kurtis John and Casey Levasseur performed. The Blue Flamingo Resort hosted Marti Frederiksen, Jack Ingram and Trent Tomlinson. Fans gathered at Blue Heaven for the annual Bluebird Presents Liz Rose &

Photo: Carol Tedesco for BMI

Friends, where she was joined by Gloria Anderson, Phil Barton, Johnny Clawson, Mags Duval, Jack Ingram, Luke Laird, Lori McKenna, Lee Thomas Miller, Wendell Mobley, Summer Overstreet, Peytan Porter, Abbey Rowe and Paul Sikes. The day concluded at sunset with an intimate acoustic performance by Ashley Cooke at Lunara Live: Waterfront.

Friday featured performances from Mark Collie, Hayden Blount, Rob Hatch, Jim McCormick, Chord Overstreet, Hannah McFarland, Bob DiPiero, HARDY, Lee Thomas Miller, Bobby Pinson and more. That night, the Texas Heritage Songwriters Association and Texas Music office presented the San Carlos Institute with Gloria Anderson, Jack Ingram, Robert Earl Keen, Lori McKenna, Bruce Robison, Liz Rose and Larry Joe Taylor.

Ashley Cooke. Photo: Carol Tedesco for BMI

On Saturday, BMI and the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association celebrated the festival’s 30th anniversary with a VIP reception where Charlie Bauer, the founder of the event, was presented with the BMI Ambassador award. BMI’s Clay Bradley and Mason Hunter as well as past award recipients Storme Warren and Xperi’s Joe D’Angelo alongside FRLA’s Carl Dover, praised Bauer’s significant impact on the songwriting community. Following his 2019 festival debut, ERNEST headlined the annual block party at Main Stage on Duval Street, with direct support from Ashley Cooke and Cody Lohden.

The final day brought attendees together for gospel music with “Sunday Songs: Music & Mimosas” at Williams Hall on Sunday, featuring BMI’s Shannon Sanders, Chuck Cannon, Elisha Hoffman, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Megan Linville, Danny Myrick, Tommy Sims and DJ Smoke.

Marti Frederiksen, Jack Ingram and Trent Tomlinson. Photo: Carol Tedesco for BMI

Photo: Carol Tedesco for BMI

HARDY and Jeffrey Steele. Photo: Carol Tedesco for BMI

Lauryn Sink
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