Mark Shelton and Brett Dillon

Four months, five or six dozen songwriters, five rounds, and seven finalists. The Rusty Wier Songwriter Contest completed its third year Feb. 24 when organizer Brett Dillon announced Mark Shelton as the songwriter-singer who was taking home the prizes. Shelton might have needed a wheelbarrow to carry them all away, there were so many: a Kona guitar; hours of studio time and video work from Bent Leaf Studios and Chip Campbell Productions, respectively; season passes to Love & War In Texas’ Shiner Sundays 2013; and quite a few more career-enhancing sweeteners.

Shelton, from Durant, Okla., was last in the line-up Sunday afternoon, and said at the beginning of his set, that just being in the Top 7 was a surprise and honor for “a Red Dirt guy who plays about three times a year.” He hasn’t been songwriting, or even playing and singing, for long, but has already become a wordsmith beyond even his own expectations.

Second place went to Fort Worth’s Phil Wallace and Town Walsh, from Collinsville, earned third place honors. Other finalists were Greg Schroeder, Heath Webb, Big John Mills, and Scott Copeland.

In this round, as it was in the semi-finals, each of those in the contest was required to perform three originals and one Rusty Wier cover song. Judges were Brett Dillon (KHYI), Chip Campbell (Honky Tonk Nights & Renegade Hearts), Ronny Spears (White & Spears), Tye Phelps (Love & War), and Jesse Sims (Bent Leaf Studios).  Roger Russell ran sound.

Schroeder got his Rusty Wier song out of the way first, saying it was because it was the hardest for him. Later on, Schroeder, himself a prolific and intense songwriter, said that he learned so much in studying Wier’s songs, learning them in preparation, for the last two rounds. He said that Wier made it look easy to perform them, but that there was more to them under the surface than meets the eye. Schroeder said he will be keeping the songs at the ready in his song list.

Mills, who drove all five times to the Plano venue from his home in San Marcos, had said earlier that he was excited to have been included in the contest, and hopes he has created a larger fan bass and can again play in the Metroplex soon. Mills was a friend and sometimes co-writer with Rusty Wier before Mr. Wier’s death, and admired him personally and professionally.

A little known fact:  Mark Shelton had cut his long locks off in November, giving them to Locks of Love; Wallace showed up with a fresh haircut in the semi-finals, not sure if he gave his tresses to Locks of Love; and Mills will be cutting his long hair off now that the contest is over — another gift for Locks of Love. This is a non-profit organization that, through people’s hair donations, creates and provides wigs to financially-challenged cancer victims under the age of 21.

After the award, the brotherhood of songwriters at Love & War in Texas gathered on stage and belted out Rusty Wier’s ever-popular “Don’t It Make You Wanna Dance.” And there were many there for the finals who had entered and some who made it through the ranks, but not into the finals, including Matt Dunn and Grady Yates, and other musicians who just came for the show, including Nate Kipp, Jeff Hopson, and Dan Dennis.

Shelton talked about that brotherhood, saying “This is a big ol’ family, and it keeps getting bigger and bigger.” His song, based on the drought in North Texas and Oklahoma last year, “Watching Oklahoma Burn,” was a definite crowd pleaser. Watch for the name “Mark Shelton” as one of those playing Shiner Sundays 2013, another of the prizes he collected as first-place winner.

It’s highly likely there will be a 4^th Annual Rusty Wier Songwriting Competition, and will most likely begin again in November.

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Chip Campbell

Judges Chip Campbell, Chris Schlotzhauer, Roger Russell, and Brett Dillon put the numbers down on the last six contestants in the Rusty Wier Songwriting Contest, then, when blended those with those scores from the previous six in the semi-finals. After tallying it all up, Brett Dillon (KHYI 95.3 on-air personality) announced the six finalists Tuesday (Feb. 19).

These six, Scott Copeland, Big John Mills, Mark Shelton, Greg Schroeder, Phil Wallace, and Town Walsh will compete for all the marbles this coming Sunday, 4 p.m., at Love & War in Texas, Plano, which is at the ne corner of U.S. 75 and Plano Parkway.

This past Sunday found Byron Dowd, Mills, Wallace, Copeland, Shelton, and Whitney O’Neil belting out their best original songs and one (each) Rusty Wier cover song. And belt them out, the singer/songwriters each did.

Dowd opened, after switching spots in the line-up with Shelton because of Shelton’s work schedule, and after saying the contest was really, for him, about “getting to hang out with some really cool cats,”  sang his originals which included such lyrics at “you sold your soul for a brand new day,” and culminated with an incredible cover of Wier’s “Sophia” including drumming strumming guitar sounds.

Mills, who said he was privileged to have written with Rusty Wier before his death, opened with a song he said was his own, but with a Rusty flavor to it, “Til Dead Do Us Part (Bring Me A Gun).”  After a more serious love song, he chose to cover Wier’s “All My Give-A-Damn Is Gone” with nice clippy lyrics. Mills will be driving the farthest to compete, coming from his home in San Marcos, Texas.

Chris Schlotzhauer

Wallace, up third and sporting a brand new haircut, played, among other originals, his “hardest one, hard because I’m not really a guitar player,” then presented a rendition of a song about life on the run that proved himself an artist. His cover was “I Found Jesus (On A Backroad), and Phil’s voice really stood out on that one.

Copeland brought an accompanist, on the mouth harp, with him, a look-alike but with a different last name. After presenting his songs, including one he sang at a friend’s wedding, Copeland also covered Wier’s “I Found Jesus,” making it sound like his own song, delivering it straighter than Wallace had.

O’Neil, with a smile that lights up any room, delivered one she wrote less than two weeks previously, introducing it by saying she was a little pissed off at the time. A song with a strong voice and the deep emotion and yet humor of broken romanc, every woman in the audience cheered throughout it, even asking when it was over that she sing it again. Somehow, we need to get this song to The Pistol Annies. O’Neil’s cover of  “Cowboy Who Loves To Sing The Blues” was as bluesy as Rusty himself made it.

Shelton chose to open his 4-song set with a Rusty Wier cover, “Coast of Colorado,” after thanking Dowd for the time swap. “I consider him a songwriter’s songwriter,” he said of Dowd. He also said about his songwriting, “These songs don’t all come from me, they come from the Good Lord up above, and then came out with a song he had only written the day before, with lyrics including, loosely paraphrased, ‘like a banker, I wrote the last 7 years off.’

When the contestants were done, and relaxing with one another and with their fans, two of the three singer/songwriting judges, Campbell and Schlotzhauer, each presented one of their songs, and the dancers hit the small but fun dance floor.

Those “marbles” the remaining six will be hoping to take home include a 4-song fully-edited video by Campbell, 8 hours of studio time at Bent Leaf Recording Studio in Denison, season tickets for the 2013 Shiner Sunday concert series at L&W, and an opening spot at one of those Shiner Sundays.

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Contestants sing Happy Birthday to Lisa Walsh

This reporter (Mary Jane) was honored to have been a judge at Sunday’s (Feb. 10) Rusty Wier Contest, now in its semi-final rounds, and so had to turn all my notes in to the contest officials. I’ve said time and time again I wouldn’t want to be a judge, because all the talent is so equal, although different from one songwriter to another… and that’s the beauty (along with the mutual ‘let’s-win’ attitude of 99.9 % of the musicians) of Texas music.

In this semi-final two-week round, all contestants must present three of their original songs and cover one Rusty Wier song. Vying were: Heath Webb, Erica Perry, Grady Yates, Greg Schroeder, Town Walsh, and Chad Purdom.

This coming week, at 4 p.m. Love & War in Texas (Plano) brings the remaining six semi-finalists to the stage: Big John Mills, Whitney O’Neil, Scott Copeland, Phil Wallace, Byron Down, and Mark Shelton. From these 12, six will moving into the finals, Feb. 24, to complete the third-annual Rusty Wier Songwriting Contest. They are all vying for prizes that include studio time at Bent Leaf Studios in Denison, a Kona guitar, a season-ticket for two to L&W’s Shiner Sunday concert series, and so much more.

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Brett Dillon, KHYI, 95.3

Eight musicians brought their top game to contend in Round 3 Week 2 of the Rusty Wier Songwriting Contest on Sunday, (January 27, 2013) at Love and War in Texas (Plano).  The contest in its 3^rd year, hosted by Brett Dillon, KHYI 95.3 was judged by Chris Schlotzhauer, Chip Campbell and Brett Dillon.  Each songwriter performed three original songs.

First up was Byron Dowd with a moving song titled Footsteps.  “You’re dreaming airplanes”, a tale of those who would trade all they’ve known for anything else.  Byron spoke of the camaraderie between the musicians in the competition and the lasting friendships he’s made.

Heath Webb, a southpaw with a left-handed guitar, sang “It’s funny how some flames forever burn”.  A song about how you can’t turn away from the one who’s holding you back titled “Funny How”.

Jake Bays brought his usual energy and humor to the stage with his original song about road rage titled “Number One”.  It’s a clever tune about highway sign language and a positive punctuator with the middle finger.

The lone Okie in the contest, Mark Shelton belted out a brand new original song about a chance at a record deal titled “10 Days to Austin”.  “My life is on the line/My dream hangs in the balance/With my life in ¾ time”.

After a short break the 5^th performer was Matt Dunn.  In his strong husky voice he sang a cautionary tune about taking the wrong path and the price of losing everything.  Matt spoke of the personal nature of the song titled “Six String Dream”.

Cow Town’s own Phil Wallace bemused the audience with his wit and duct taped guitar.  He performed a stirring version of his original song, “Nobody Slowing Me Down” another tune of traveling to Austin looking for his “new sound in the lost and found”.

Tyler Rogers with his smooth and sometimes snarling vocals stilled the crowd with an honest and heartfelt song about the occupational hazards of being a performing musician.  “Neon nights and whiskey dreams/One’s keeping me alive/The other’s killing me” a great new original called “Neon Nights”.

Closing out the night was one of the few female performers in the contest.  Whitney O’Neil, a crowd favorite, interrupted her set to play a request titled “Gypsy Soul”.  “This gypsy soul is a hotel/And no one gets to stay”.

It was again an awesome night of music, fun and friends.  Brett Dillon announced those moving on in the contest from the past two weeks on Thursday.

The contest is being given a break Sunday (Feb.3 ) because of the Super Bowl. The semi-finals will be on the Sundays of Feb. 10 and 17, and the finals at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24, all at Love & War in Texas (Plano.)  Love & War is at the northeast corner of U.S. 75 and Plano Parkway in Plano.

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