Chuck Leavell to headline three-day Buford event featuring hit songwriters, live performances and stories behind the music
BUFORD — Lanier Islands Resort will bring some of country, rock and Americana music’s best-known songwriters to Buford this fall for the inaugural Songwriters at the Lake Music Festival.
The three-day festival, presented by Ingles, is scheduled for Nov. 13-15 and will feature performances across eight stages throughout the resort. Organizers with Songwriters ATL announced the full lineup Sept. 24.
Chuck Leavell, known for his work as keyboardist with The Allman Brothers Band and The Rolling Stones, will headline the festival alongside Randall Bramblett, Jimmy Hall and Joanna Cotten.
The weekend is designed around both live performances and the stories behind well-known songs, giving audiences an opportunity to hear directly from the writers who created them.
Among the songwriters scheduled to perform is Tony Arata, a Savannah native and member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Arata wrote Garth Brooks’ “The Dance,” which was named Song of the Year by the Academy of Country Music in 1990.
Ed Hill, whose songwriting credits include Faith Hill’s “It Matters to Me,” Trace Adkins’ “Just Fishin’” and Luke Bryan’s “Most People Are Good,” is also part of the lineup.
Jim Collins, who wrote or co-wrote Kenny Chesney’s “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy” and “The Good Stuff,” Jason Aldean’s “Big Green Tractor” and Thompson Square’s “Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not,” will perform during the festival.
Other featured songwriters include Greg Barnhill, who wrote Trisha Yearwood and Don Henley’s “Walkaway Joe,” and Chuck Cannon, whose songs have been recorded by artists including Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, George Strait, Randy Travis, Toby Keith and Wynonna Judd.
Webb Wilder, Michelle Malone and Georgia native Wynn Varble are also among the performers.
Varble is known for writing No. 1 country songs including Brad Paisley’s “Waitin’ on a Woman,” Darryl Worley’s “Have You Forgotten?” and Easton Corbin’s “I’m a Little More Country Than That.”
Frank Myers and Gary Baker, who co-wrote “I Swear,” will both appear at the festival. The song became a major hit for John Michael Montgomery and later for pop group All-4-One. Myers also co-wrote Lonestar’s “I’m Already There.”
Chuck Jones, who has more than 140 recorded songs to his credit, will perform as well. His songwriting credits include John Berry’s “Your Love Amazes Me,” Diamond Rio’s “Love a Little Stronger” and Chris LeDoux’s “Cadillac Ranch.”
The lineup also includes Grammy-nominated Georgia singer-songwriter Drew Parker, a Covington native who co-wrote Luke Combs’ “Forever After All” and “Doin’ This.”
Additional performers include Joe Lasher, Kaitlyn Baker, Britt Wilder and Cole Grover. Organizers said more artists could be added before the festival.
One of the weekend’s featured events will be the Chuck Leavell and Friends concert, beginning at 6 p.m. on the main stage. The performance will include Leavell, Bramblett, Hall, Cotten, Barnhill and other artists.
“We are delighted to have so much talent converge on Lanier Islands Resort,” Lanier Islands Resort President Matthew Bowling said in a statement.
Bowling said the festival will give fans a chance to hear the stories and inspiration behind songs that have become part of popular music culture.
“Songs like ‘I Swear,’ ‘The Dance’ and ‘Most People Are Good’ hold deep personal meaning for so many,” Bowling said. “How cool will it be to learn the inspiration behind those songs from the people who wrote them?”
Three-day festival passes are $129 per person and include resort gate admission.
A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit the Georgia Mountain Food Bank, the Jarrard Burch Songwriter Foundation and other charities.
Lanier Islands Resort is located at 7000 Lanier Islands Parkway in Buford.
Festival information, tickets and lodging reservations are available through Lanier Islands Resort.
