Songwriters Show: Wiggins, Hannan, Russ, Breedlove

Doors open at 6:00 pm - food and beverage are available for purchase
Show begins after 7:00pm - includes a short intermission

Begun at an inn in Balsam, NC, in 1996 and modeled after similar performances at Nashville’s famous Bluebird Café, the Great Balsam Songwriters in the Round Series, now hosted at the Historic Hazelwood School/Folkmoot Center, presents signature in-the-round shows featuring talented songwriters and performers. Many performances feature Grammy and CMA award winners, and all include writers of many top-ranked songs. Good food, good drink, a warm atmosphere and extraordinary talent are always on tap!

John Wiggins 
Canton’s John Wiggins and his sister, Audrey, sang together beginning in childhood, and their father, Johnny Wiggins, was the “Singing Bus Driver” on Ernest Tubb's 1960s tours. John made his singing debut at age four, and for the next several years, he and Audrey performed in their father’s band. In the 1980’s, the Wiggins siblings and Clinton Gregory joined the house band at Maggie Valley’s Stompin' Ground, and signed to PolyGram/Mercury Records in 1994, shortly before their father died. They released their self-titled debut that year, and the album produced three chart entries on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including the No. 22 “Has Anybody Seen Amy?”.

In 1995, 1996, and 1997, John & Audrey Wiggins received Country Music Association nominations for Duo of the Year. A second album, “The Dream”, followed in 1997 and charted the release “Somewhere in Love” which peaked at No. 49.

In the 2000s, John found work as a songwriter in Nashville. Among his cuts were the singles “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off” by Joe Nichols, “Anything Goes” by Randy Houser, and “Who Are You When I'm Not Looking” by Nichols and Blake Shelton.

Gary Hannan
A former soldier and deep sea oil field diver turned songwriter, Hannan has written songs recorded and or performed by Garth Brooks, Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley, Joe Nichols, William Shatner, John Michael Montgomery, Montgomery Gentry, Darryl Worley and many others.

He’s a Gold and Platinum of songwriter, with millions of airplays, and has won multiple number one awards from BMI as a songwriter and a publisher, including CMA (two number ones), ACM (two number ones), Country Radio Broadcasters Award (two), and a Grammy nominated album of the year. He won the coveted NSAI “One of the Songs I Wish I’d Written” award, voted by professional songwriter members.

He now travels the world, writing songs, including those penned during a solo motorcycle journey to the exact locations where brothers in arms had made the ultimate sacrifice. These songs were then recorded in an ongoing compilation ‘Songs from the Battlefield’.

Alma Russ
A Golden Ticket recipient on American Idol, Sylva songwriter Alma Russ sings a blend of folk, bluegrass, and mountain ballads, and plays fiddle, claw-hammer banjo and guitar.  As a youngster, Alma learned to sing mountain ballads, and Appalachian culture was one of Alma’s first inspirations for learning to play fiddle. She began writing and composing music around age 14 and always has songs in various stages of development. Her primary musical influences include country gold, bluegrass, gypsy jazz, and folk. 

Isaiah Breedlove
Isaiah Breedlove is an American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Cashiers. He’s shared the stage with Earl Scruggs, Ralph Stanley, Mountain Heart and Sierra Hull, and has released one studio album (All Around Your Sleepy Head) and one single (Interstate Blues) which have garnered praise from Indie Shuffle, American Songwriter Magazine and others.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $23 at the door. Food and beverages will be available onsite.