Performers picked, sang, and danced all day Friday until just past midnight Saturday morning during the first day of the 44th annual Smithville Fiddler’s Jamboree and Crafts Festival.
State Senator Mae Beavers and State Representatives Terri Lynn Weaver and Mark Pody presented flags flown over the state capitol to persons who traveled the greatest distances from inside and outside the state and the country to get here. Herbert Staggs and Sid Long, both of Memphis received a Tennessee State flag. Donda Kreatschman of Alaska and Copeland Elena Muralla of the Phillipines and Svetlana Suleymeneva of UST’ Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan were each presented a United States flag
Prior to the Jamboree welcome Friday evening from Fiddler’s Jamboree Coordinator Jack Barton and an introduction of local public officials, the Smithville-DeKalb County Community Chorus entertained the crowd with a patriotic program.
Preliminaries were held in sixteen categories of music and dance competition followed by the finals featuring the top three acts in each event.
The following are the winners in each category:
*Old Time Appalachian Folk Singing (Solo):
First Place- Amanda McKenney of Cullman, Alabama
Second Place-Kelcy Tomlin of Springfield
Third Place-Josiah Tyree of Carthage
*Junior Clogging (Ages 13-39):
First Place-Chris Stewart of Lebanon
Second Place-Shelby Dunn of Fairview
Third Place-Jamie Hash of Walland
*Junior Buck Dancing (Ages 13-39):
First Place- Jason Wade of Paris, Tennessee
Second Place-Chris Stewart of Lebanon
Third Place-Sierra Tomlin of Springfield
*Old Time Appalachian Folksinging (Duet, Trio, Quartet)
First Place- Sierra and Kelcy Tomlin of Springfield
Second Place- The McKenneys of Cullman, Alabama
Third Place-Short Mountain Strangers of Smithville
*Dobro Guitar:
First Place-Joey Gipson of Manchester
Second Place-Ivy Phillips of Chapmansboro
Third Place-Robbie Harris of Rockvale
*Mountain Dulcimer:
First Place-Rob Pearcy of Smyrna
Second Place-Tyler Andal of White House
Third Place-Daniel Amick of Centerville
*Hammer Dulcimer:
First Place-Pamela Sanders of Sparta
Second Place- Mac Garner of Maryville
*Novelty Event:
First Place- Kurt and Joey of Manchester
Second Place-Haint Hollow Hootenanny of Unionville
Third Place-Hillary Klug of Shelbyville
*Autoharp:
First Place- Austin Derryberry of Shelbyville
Second Place-Pamela Sanders of Sparta
Third Place-Bettye Kash of Cookeville
*Gospel Singing (Solo):
First Place-Amanda McKenney of Cullman, Alabama
Second Place- Elizabeth Koegler of Smithville
Third Place-Kurt Stephenson of Dyersburg
*Country Harmonica:
First Place-Rob Pearcy of Smyrna
Second Place- Daniel Amick of Centerville
Third Place- Tyler Martelli of Chattanooga
*Old Time Banjo:
First Place- Josiah Tyree of Carthage
Second Place- Tyler Andal of White House
Third Place- Austin Derryberry of Shelbyville
*Youth Square Dancing:
First Place-Jackson Hollow of Franklin
Second Place- Main Stage Revolution of Springfield
Third Place- Main Stage Explosion of Springfield
*Gospel Singing (Duet, Trio, & Quartet):
First Place- The Jenkins Family of Wilder, Tennessee
Second Place- Sandi Kay’s New Hickory of Lebanon
Third Place- Kurt and Andrea of Dyersburg
*Mandolin:
First Place-Daniel Amick of Carthage
Second Place- Tyler Andal of White House
Third Place- Kurt Stephenson of Dyersburg
*Old Time Fiddle Band:
First Place-Uncle Shuffelo and His Haint Hollow Hootenanny of Unionville
Second Place- Flat Rock String Band of Manchester
Third Place- The P&J String Band of Nashville
The Fiddler’s Jamboree resumes at 9:00 a.m. today with preliminaries in the following categories:
*Junior Old Time Appalachian Flatfoot dance (ages up to 39)
*Senior Old Time Appalachian Flatfoot dance ( ages 40 and over)
*Senior Buckdancing (ages 40 and over)
*Senior Clogging (ages 40 and over)
*Bluegrass Banjo
*Junior Fiddlers (ages 13-39)
*Flat Top Guitar
*Contest Fiddle for the Neil Dudney Award
*Bluegrass Band*
*Senior Fiddlers (ages 40 and over)
*Square Dancing (4 Couples-8 Total Dancers).
Preliminaries will be held in each event and then the top three finalists will be called back tonight to compete for first, second, and third place.
The winners of the Junior and Senior Fiddling competition will square off for the Grand Champion Award, the Berry C. Williams Memorial Trophy at the conclusion of the festival.
The Jamboree Blue Blaze Award will be presented at 3:00 p.m. to recognize a musician that is actively cultivating a love of bluegrass music. Sierra Hull is this year’s recipient. Her journey began on the stage of the Smithville Fiddlers Jamboree at the young age of 9 years old. By age 11, Alison Krauss had called with an invitation to the Opry stage; by 12, Rounder Records was expressing interest (she signed a record deal with Rounder at 13, with her first album released at 16.) She’s also played the White House, Carnegie Hall (twice), the Kennedy Center, traveled around the world sharing her music, and released three albums. Then there’s the fact that Berklee gave her the school’s most prestigious award, the Presidential Scholarship, a first for a bluegrass musician.
Meanwhile, the National Championship for Country Musician Beginners will be held this afternoon during the Jamboree featuring competitions for children, up to age twelve, in the categories of Buck Dancing, Clogging, Dobro Guitar, Mandolin, Five String Banjo, Flat Top Guitar, and Fiddle.
Preliminaries will be held in each event and then the top three finalists will be brought back to compete for first, second, and third place.
WJLE will broadcast the on-stage entertainment LIVE on AM 1480/ FM 101.7 and LIVE streaming at www.wjle.com.
In addition to music and dancing competitions onstage, the Fiddlers Jamboree also features dozens of crafts displayed along the downtown streets, plenty of delicious foods for sale at local food booths, and lots of shade tree picking under tents around the town square.
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