B.W.Stevenson Singer/Songwriting Competition sign-ups

Mary Jane Farmer | January 31, 2021

The BW Stevenson Memorial Singer/Songwriter Competition will be resumed this year (2021), now that Poor David’s Pub can have a “semblance of a live audience” again, announced PDP’s David Card.

Named after the late B.W. Stephenson, who played often at Poor David’s Pub in the years before his untimely 1988 death. He was 39 at the time. His biggest hits were “My Maria,” later covered by Brooks & Dunn, and Three Dog Night’s “Shambala.” David Card first held the songwriter/singer competition in 1989 in his friend’s honor.

Deadline is April 14 for submissions. Entry fee is $25.

Rules:

Solos only. Playing one instrument, with the exception that contestant could also play a harmonica.”The goal here is to even the playing field,” Card said.

Submit two original songs, via CD, MP3, or Thumb Drive. If one collaborated on any part of the song, that constitutes originality.

Ways to submit your entries and $25 payment:

By disc to Poor David’s Pub, 1313 S. Lamar., Dallas, TX 75215
By mp3 or thumb drive to david@poordavidspub.com
By Venmo to david-card-12
By Paypal to david@poordavidspub.com
By Check with entry to Poor David’s Pub, 1313 S. Lamar, Dallas, TX 75215

Judging:

Card will select the top 12 from those submissions, and those 12 will advance to the semi-finals, which will be held on April 12. There, three judges will select six finalists to play on April 24. At that final round, the top six will play the two submitted songs, plus a third one, in front of three different judges.

The winner will be announced that night.

Prizes

1st Place— $1,000
2nd Place — $200
3rd Place — $100

Card said that if “There is no clear-cut winner between first and second places, those two will declared a tie and split the dough.” Card will make that final decision, if it is necessary.

Some past winners who may be familiar to music lovers in the Metro area include Zane Williams, Scott Sean White, Owen Temple, Mark Wayne Glasmire, and there’s so many others since the competition’s 1989 beginning. The complete list is Online at PoorDavidsPub.com, as is the venue’s phone number, (214) 565-1295.