Reggie Bates Memorial Scholarship Night at The Mississippi Songwriters Festival (Sat. Sept. 17, 2022)
On Saturday, September 17, 2022, the Mississippi Songwriters Festival held its annual Reggie Bates Memorial Scholarship Night. An event named for one of the co-founders of the Mississippi Songwriters Alliance who was posthumously inducted into the Mississippi Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020. Bates (born in Temple, Texas; growing up in Ardmore, Oklahoma) had a 43 year career in radio broadcasting and was a gifted songwriter with a deep love for music. A longtime resident of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Reggie hosted 14 “Songwriters For St. Jude” charity events in Biloxi with 2019 Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Paul Overstreet. Bates was a major part of the Mississippi music scene and is dearly missed.
This year’s recipent of the scholarship was Ariel Cornelson, a student at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.
The evening was topped off with an amazing songwriters round featuring David Lee, Jessee Lee and Jim “Moose” Brown.
David Lee, Wichita Falls born Texas native and a third generation musician, is “the real deal”. The Grammy nominated and multi award winning songwriter has written or co-written such songs as the #1 hits “19 Somethin” for Mark Wills and “Lucky Man” performed by Montgomery Gentry; also the hit singles “I Need You” for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill and the moving “Letters From Home” for John Michael Montgomery, a song co-written with Tony Lane.
Jessee Lee, daughter of Grammy nominated hit songwriter, David Lee, and a fourth generation musician dividing her time between Texas and Nashville, is a rising star in every sense of the word. In May of this year, she released the single and title track of her EP, “Dive Bar Superstar”. Jessee Lee draws influence from a diverse group of music artists and songwriters from a variety of genres, yet has her own very distinct sound and style. We are sure to be hearing more from her in the coming years.
Jim “Moose” Brown, who has toured and recorded extensively as a member of Bob Seger’s Silver Bullet Band is also a Grammy nominated record producer and an in demand session player. Brown co-wrote
“It’s Five O’clock Somewhere” for Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett, a song that won CMA’s Vocal Event of the Year in 2003. He also co-wrote Darryl Worley’s “If Something Should Happen” and numerous more songs by such artists as Martina McBride, Willie Nelson, Jamey Johnson, Ronnie Milsap, Josh Turner, David Allen Coe, James Otto and others.
Honestly, what these three did on this particular evening was as close to a perfect songwriters round in a listening room environment as it gets.
Photos by Stephen “Andy” Anderson with introduction by Johnny Cole (additional editing by Brenda Germany)
a student at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
of the Mississippi Songwriters Alliance
of the Mississippi Songwriters Alliance
with George Cumbest
being honored for their hard work with the festival
of the Mississippi Songwriters Alliance
Ocean Springs, MS
Related Articles and Photo Collections:
It’s Time for the 2022 Mississippi Songwriters Festival
The 2022 Mississippi Songwriters Hall of Fame Inductions
(article & two page of photos)
Joe Gilchrist Tribute at The Mississippi Songwriters Festival (Fri. Sept. 16)
(photos & commentary)
Mississippi Songwriters Festival Kick-Off Party, Grand Finale & More
(photos & commentary)
When Sweden Came To The Mississippi Songwriters Festival
(photos & commentary)
Page Designed & Edited by Johnny Cole
Additional Editing by Brenda Germany
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