Frank Brown International Songwriters’ Festival Spotlights Composers
Photo by Beth Childs
The Gulf of Mexico and its white-sand beaches are the backdrop every fall for the Frank Brown International Songwriters’ Festival. Rated one of the top 20 events in the Southeast by the Southeast Tourism Society, the Frank Brown festival showcases the talents of songwriters from around the world.
This year, the festival opens November 11 for five days of great music, written and performed by the songwriters themselves. This is the 36th year for this popular event, which will feature more than 100 performers at some two dozen venues from downtown Pensacola and Perdido Key, Florida, to Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, Alabama. The festival regularly draws around 40,000 people to the area.
Described as the “grandaddy of songwriter festivals” by both Billboard and American Songwriters magazines, the event is named for the late Frank Brown, long-time night watchman at the Flora-Bama. Mr. Frank, as he was known to Flora-Bama regulars, loved music and was the last person the performers saw every night at closing time.
A one-of-a-kind event, the Frank Brown International Songwriters’ Festival focuses on the composers and the stories behind the songs — how and why they wrote some of the world’s greatest hits — rather than on the performers who made them famous. And because many of the entertainment venues are small, the songwriters also have plenty of chances to interact with the audience.
Among this year’s performers are the popular Alabama Gulf Coast-based husband/wife duo Sugarcane Jane (Anthony and Savana Crawford); Steve Dean, who has co-written hit songs with Rodney Atkins, The Oak Ridge Boys, Alabama, George Strait, Lee Greenwood, and Reba McEntire; and Rick Carter, a Selma, Alabama, native and prolific songwriter who has collaborated with the Allman Brothers, Widespread Panic, Dave Matthews, Jason Isbell, Bob Dylan, John Fogarty, Willie Nelson, and the Marshall Tucker Band.
Admission to most venues is free, although some may have a small cover charge. Performances will continue daily through November 18. For more information, visit frankbrownsongwriters.com.
Where To Stay During the Frank Brown International Songwriters’ Festival
For places to stay in the area, check out our listings of condos, beach houses, and hotels at Gulf Shores Vacation Rentals, Orange Beach Vacation Rentals, Perdido Key Vacation Rentals, and Pensacola Beach Vacation Rentals.
