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April 4-6, 2025

Word of South

2025 Artists

2025 Artists

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For nearly two decades, American Aquarium has pushed toward that rare form of rock-and-roll that’s revelatory in every sense. “For us the sweet spot is when you’ve got a rock band that makes you scream along to every word, and it’s not until you’re coming down at three a.m. that you realize those words are saying something real about your life,” says frontman BJ Barham. “That’s what made us fall in love with music in the first place, and that’s the goal in everything we do.“ On their new album The Fear of Standing Still, the North Carolina-bred band embodies that dynamic with more intensity than ever before, endlessly matching their gritty breed of country-rock with Barham’s bravest and most incisive songwriting to date. As he reflects on matters both personal and sociocultural—e.g., the complexity of Southern identity, the intersection of generational trauma and the dismantling of reproductive rights—American Aquarium instill every moment of The Fear of Standing Still with equal parts unbridled spirit and illuminating empathy.

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Leon Anderson, Jr., Associate Professor and Director of Jazz Studies, joined the Florida State University faculty in 1998. His musical experience includes that of a classical and jazz percussionist, educator, clinician, and composer. Mr. Anderson earned the B.A. degree in Music Education at Louisiana Tech University and the M.A. degree in Percussion Performance at Southeastern Louisiana University. His mentors have included Ellis Marsalis, Willis Delony, and Victor Goines of the New Orleans jazz scene, as well as the late bassist Ben Tucker. Mr. Anderson currently teaches drum set, jazz ensembles, jazz combo, and jazz history at the FSU College of Music.

In 1997 Mr. Anderson was a featured soloist with The Marcus Roberts Trio’s performance with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl, and he was the selected drummer for the “Great Saxophone Legends” concert at the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, featuring Jimmy Heath, David Sanchez, Javon Jackson and Red Holloway. Anderson also has performed with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra in roles of drummer and percussionist. Additionally, he has performed with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra with the Ellis Marsalis Trio; National Orchestra de France with the Marcus Roberts Trio conducted by Seiji Ozawa; Umbria Jazz Festival, Perugia Italy; Ingolstadt Jazztage in Ingolstadt Bavaria; Switzerland Jazz Festival in Basel, Switzerland; North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and Ascona Jazz Festival in Ascona, Switzerland.

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Kristen Arnett is the queer Floridian author of With Teeth: A Novel (Riverhead Books, 2021) which was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award in fiction and the New York Times bestselling debut novel Mostly Dead Things (Tin House, 2019) which was also a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award in fiction and was shortlisted for the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award. She was awarded a Shearing Fellowship at Black Mountain Institute, has held residencies at Ragdale Foundation, Vermont Studio Center, the Millay Colony, and the Studios of Key West, and was longlisted for the Joyce Carol Oates Prize. She runs the substack “Dad Lessons.” Her work has appeared at The New York Times, TIME, Vogue, The Cut, Oprah Magazine, Guernica, Buzzfeed, McSweeneys, PBS Newshour, The Guardian, Salon, The Washington Post, and elsewhere. Her next novel, STOP ME IF YOU’VE HEARD THIS ONE, about a lesbian birthday party clown, will be published by Riverhead Books (Spring 2025), followed by the publication of an untitled collection of short stories. She has a Masters in Library and Information Science from Florida State University and lives in Orlando, Florida. She’ll be appearing at Word of South with the author Jami Attenberg.

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Jami Attenberg is the author of eight books of fiction, including: A Reason To See You Again, Instant Love, The Kept Man, The Melting Season, The Middlesteins, Saint Mazie, and All Grown Up. Her most recent novel is All This Could Be Yours (2019), which was included on the Best of Fall lists from People, Vogue, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, New York, Observer, Bust, Nylon, New York Post, Pop Sugar, and more. She is also the author of 1000 Words: Stay Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Long, an inspirational book based on her grassroots literary movement, “1000 Words of Summer.” The book includes thoughts on the creative lifecycle and the craft and art of writing, as well as original letters of advice and support from dozens of authors.

“Prickly and unsentimental, but never quite hopeless, Attenberg. the poet laureate of difficult families, captures the relentlessly lonely beauty of being alive.” – Kirkus

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Ask anyone in the music scene about St. Augustine, Florida’s Bad Dog Mama and the answer will always be the same – they bring the house down. This female duo highlights the power of harmonies, percussive rhythm, and dynamic choice of song.

Chelsea Saddler plays guitar and Lauren Gilliam plays bass, and the women alternate lead vocals. They are truly organic in their love for music and are masters at pulling in a crowd to their world of sound. Their body of original work seems as endless as their cover setlist, either of which will set your ears ablaze.

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William “Scotty” Barnhart is an American jazz trumpeter. A three-time Grammy winner, he has played since 1993 as a featured soloist with the Count Basie Orchestra, and in September 2013 became its director. He has multiple recordings with pianist Marcus Roberts as well as recordings with Tony Bennett, Diana Krall, Ray Charles, and Tito Puente. A solo CD, released with Unity Music, is titled Say It Plain and features Clark Terry, Ellis and Wynton Marsalis, Marcus Roberts, Jamie Davis and Etienne Charles; it achieved number 3 in the Jazz Charts. Also active as an educator and clinician, he is author of The World of Jazz Trumpet – A Comprehensive History and Practical Philosophy (published by Hal Leonard). He is a professor in the College of Music at Florida State University. Scotty will be coordinating this year’s Word of South New Orleans Jazz Extravaganza.

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Bathe Alone is the dream pop moniker of multi-instrumentalist Bailey Crone. Taking shape in Atlanta, her haunting approach to songwriting and delicate vocal deliveries often draw comparisons to Beach House, Mitski, and The xx.

Carving her way into the Peach State’s indie scene as a teenager, Crone picked up drums, guitar, and bass early on — eventually discovering a distinct identity and connection to each instrument. With a drumming vocabulary more akin to the punk world and ambient guitar drenched in delay, the foundations for Bathe Alone were starting to crystallize.

After tinkering and fine tuning her sound even further, Crone enlisted the help of producer Damon Moon, who immediately recognized an untapped potential in the project. Within months they completed what would become Bathe Alone’s 2021 debut LP, Last Looks. Their double EP, Fall With The Lights Down, followed in 2023 via Nettwerk Music Group — leading to tour dates with Beabadoobee, Vacations, Last Dinosaurs, and Bombay Bicycle Club.

The band’s new album, I Don’t Do Humidity, hit shelves in June of 2024 — receiving praise from outlets like SPIN Magazine, Paste, and Under The Radar (along with notable fellow musicians John Mayer and Sharon Van Etten). A captivating collection of songs unpacking Crone’s recent divorce, it’s the most raw, experimental, and personal project of her career, bound to resonate with anyone who has experienced daunting betrayal and found a way to rebuild.

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Daniel Bedrosian has been the keyboardist for George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic for the past twenty-plus years, making him the longest tenured keyboard player in the live band’s history. In addition to performing with Clinton and company, he has worked or performed with many musical icons such as Snoop Dogg, Chuck D and Flavor Flav, Ice Cube, Shavo Odadjian from System of a Down, Kendrick Lamar, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Erykah Badu, Queen Latifah, Mumford & Sons, RZA, Flying Lotus, Thundercat, Sheila E, Wu-Tang Clan, The Roots, MonoNeon, Cory Henry, Robert Glasper, Drake, and many more. He has appeared on 25 Strong: The BET Silver Anniversary Special, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Carson Daly Show, I’m from Rolling Stone, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, The Monique Show, MTV in several nations, and many more. He also wrote and sang the theme music to the internationally broadcast paranormal show “Deathwalker”. Bedrosian writes the Armenian-mythology based “Sons of the Sun” Comic book series, and is the author of the Authorized P-Funk Song Reference: Official Canon of Parliament-Funkadelic 1956-2023, published by Rowman & Littlefield, which has been one of R&L’s all-time best sellers. He is currently finishing his next book, due out in October of 2025. He’ll be appearing at Word of South with author Mark Mustian Saturday afternoon, as well as arranging and leading a celebration of P-Funk music featuring George Clinton and others Saturday night.

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Black Opry is a home for Black artists and Black fans of country, blues, folk, and Americana music. Country music has been made by and loved by Black people since it’s conception. For just as long, Black people have been overlooked and disregarded in the genre by fans and executives. Black Opry wants to change that. They invite you to discover, support and enjoy the Black artists that make magic in this space. One of the most valuable aspects of country music is its versatility and diversity in sound. Country, blues, folk, and Americana music often overlap or weave together- these artists explore all of those sounds and intersections. The Black Opry Revue showcases the diversity in sound and stories that Black artists offer to these genres. Black Opry artists Justin St. Clair and Jett Holden are participating in this year’s Word of South, in solo shows Saturday and then a combined show Sunday afternoon.

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Critically acclaimed novelist Chris Bohjalian uses his gripping fiction to explore contemporary social issues and how they play out in the lives of ordinary people, as well as to shed light on some of the most important moments in history. His writing delves into such topics as domestic violence, global climate change, gender identity, genocide, adultery, animal rights, adoption, homelessness, mental illness, and human trafficking with equal facility. He is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than two-dozen books, and his work has been translated into over 35 languages. 2025 will see the publication of Bohjalian’s The Jackal’s Mistress, a heart-stopping work of historical fiction based on a largely unknown piece of American Civil War history. It will be the author’s 25th novel.

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At its best, harmony duo singing can transform simple math into a magic trick. One plus one, instead of equaling two, suddenly yields an unexpected third thing. An upper-case ONE. A universal hum. A deep vibration that encompasses two different points of view. On their latest release, Every Time I Think About You, brothers Jack Torrey and Page Burkum, aka The Cactus Blossoms, once again prove themselves to be among the most adept – and distinctive – modern practitioners of that magic. But like any great magician, The Cactus Blossoms can’t – or won’t – fully explain the illusion they create. “Harmonies are a big part of our sound, but in some ways they’re the part we focus on the least,” says Burkum. “We put most of our attention and energy into the songs themselves and then the harmonies just happen.”

There’s all kinds of magic happening on Every Time I Think About You, a record that sounds more like a band than any other in the Cactus Blossoms discography, thanks to contributions from Jeremy Hanson (drums), Jacob Hanson (guitar) and Phillip Hicks (bass). There She Goes casts its romantic regret against a danceable bop beat, and the title track is a heart-wrencher about loss and letting go.

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Part of a pioneer Leon County family, Ann’s roots go back nearly two hundred years in north Florida. Currently ninety-five years old, Ann is a mother of five and widow of former Tallahassee mayor and businessman, Spurgeon Camp. Ann has been a community leader for decades. With both undergraduate and graduate degrees from Florida State University, Ann opened Tallahassee’s first interior design business, Seven Hills Interiors, which operated for over thirty years. Later, she taught in FSU’s School of Housing and Interior Design as an adjunct instructor. After a lifetime of local involvement in social justice issues, animal rights, the visual arts and especially a dedication to both quality and affordable shelter for all, Ann is currently finishing her first book entitled All I Have Seen. Recollections and stories spanning nearly a hundred years of living in north Florida, All I Have Seen shares Ann’s personal journey through the Great Depression, World War II, post war growth, the civil rights movement, and many memories with family and friends. Ann will appear at Word of South with David Campbell.

 

David Campbell is a writer, storyteller, and Tallahassee native. Following a career in hospitality and the non-profit arena, he is semi-retired. David will appear at Word of South with author Ann Bannerman Camp.

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Caleb Caudle is an artist who has always done things his own way. While he draws influence from the legendary lineage of country musicians whose presence can be felt in the Cash Cabin, he’s never set out to write recreations of Carter Family or Johnny Cash songs– or replicate sounds from country music’s past. Forsythia, the latest studio LP offering from Caleb Caudle, is a portrait of his truest self, of the artist at his most solitary and reflective. Thematically, it meets anticipation for the unknown future with nostalgia for the past and reconciles with meditation in the present. It paints a vision of who Caudle was, is and will hopefully be someday. The album, recorded at Cash Cabin and produced by John Carter Cash, features acclaimed session players Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Dennis Crouch and Fred Eltringham, and the vocal talents of Carlene Carter, Elizabeth Cook and Sarah Peasall McGuffey. Due to circumstances beyond his control, Caudle saw Forsythia as possibly his final album and somehow turned that fear of the unknown into his most meticulous and expertly crafted collection of songs to date.

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Grammy-winner George Clinton, formerly known for his role in the groups Parliament and Funkadelic, revolutionized R&B during the 70’s. Since his first major hit “(I Wanna) Testify,” George Clinton made his mark in the music world for his psychedelic rock and funk band-format, with eccentric costumes and themes inspired by ’60s acid culture and science fiction. Clinton took Funk to new heights by blending the musical elements of Jazz, Rock, Pop, Classical and even Gospel into his productions, eventually developing a unique style called “Pfunk.” He’ll be appearing at Word of South as part of a musical retrospective of his work, seen though the eyes of his longtime keyboardist, Danny Bedrosian.

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Dalia Colón is a multimedia journalist and author of The Florida Vegetarian Cookbook. You can catch her on TV as co-host/associate producer of WEDU Arts Plus on Tampa Bay’s PBS station, and in your podcast feed as host/executive producer of The Zest, a Florida food podcast that’s part of the NPR Podcast Network. She has served as a judge for the James Beard Awards, and she writes the Heritage Kitchen column for Forum, the magazine of Florida Humanities. Her freelance credits are among NPR, the New York Times Magazine, Miami Herald, Los Angeles Times, Visit Florida, Gravy Quarterly, and the magazine of the Southern Foodways Alliance. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Dalia holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ohio University and a master’s degree in Spanish education from Kent State University.

In her spare time, Dalia enjoys reading, running and bargain-hunting at thrift stores and garage sales. Dalia lives with her family in Riverview, and she never leaves home without a snack. She’ll be appearing at Word of South with the musician Fred Wheatt, who is also her father, and food prepared from some of her recipes will be made available for sampling by the audience.

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If there was ever a question if a young musician could effectively and effortlessly play true, authentic funk as well as embody the finesse of a seasoned jazz swing, drummer Benjamin “Benzel Baltimore” Cowan puts the question to rest. The talented Baltimore native got his first taste of drumming at the age of 2, and has been gigging as a professional musician since the age of 15. As the son of the legendary trumpet player Bennie “The General” Cowan (from P-Funk, Gap Band, Rapahel Saadiq, to name but a few), Benzel was bred into funk music, so there was no doubt that he was destined for greatness within that genre and beyond.

Benzel Baltimore studied early with the likes of jazz greats like Dave Weckl, Steve Smith, Pat Patrillo and Horacio Hernandez. These formidable influences have made him the versatile drummer he is today. He caught the attention of world-famous drummer Dennis Chambers, a P- Funk vet, who took Benzel under his wing and became his mentor.

Many people describe Benzel as the “young guy with an old soul” and “the positive, energetic personality wearing the big smile behind the kit” on and off stage. His energy on stage and his electrifying performances and improvisational drum solos landed him a coveted spot as the drummer for George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic. He began with the group as an occasional guest drummer through the nineties (the highlight being his appearance at Woodstock 99), and was officially hired with the touring group around 2010.

More recently, Benzel performed behind T-Pain alongside his P-Funk cohorts, played behind Joss Stone in the United Kingdom, behind Funk and R&B legends such as Sly Stone and Sheila E, and has played events alongside greats such as Robert Glasper, Meshell N’ Degeocello, Melanie Fiona, Robbie Coltrane, Pat Metheney, Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Mumford and Sons, Noel Gallagher, Ghost Poet, and many others.

Benzel recently appeared on the P-Funk Metropolis Boxed set album in which Benzel’s talents were well documented. In his many forays into the music business, Benzel has found himself performing in front of capacity crowds in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, and armed with his drumsticks and a mean approach to his instrument, Benzel Baltimore proves to continue to be a driving force in the world of drumming. You can see Benzel perform at Word of South as part of the 70th Anniversary of P-Funk line-up, a free event in the Adderley Amphitheater, Saturday April 5.

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Lige Curry, the eldest of 6 siblings, developed a passion for music at an early age, influenced at home by his mother being an avid music lover. Lige started out singing and playing guitar for his many aunts, uncles and grandparents and he shortly picked up the bass guitar. Playing for the church was one of his early outlets, as well as performing for company at home. Blues, Pop and Gospel music filled his early learning years.

13 year-old Lige and his cousins formed a that over time became The Electric Sparks Band, which lead to a chance encounter with one of their musical hero’s at an after party given by a band member. George Clinton and P-Funk attended the after party, and The Electric Sparks Band performed a P-Funk classic, Maggot Brain, which impressed Mr. Clinton. Lige’s older cousin, Michael Hampton, was offered a job with P-Funk, and later became know as Kid Funkadelic.

Lige was asked to join P-Funk in 1978 as a back- up singer. He started studying with then P-Funk bassists, Bootsy Collins and Billy (Bass) Nelson, as well as current bassist Rodney (Skeets) Curtis and Cordell (Boogie) Mosson. Opportunity knocked that same year when Skeets Curtis left to take a job with the famous Maceo Parker and Boogie Mosson moved over to guitar the door was open for the Lige Curry Adventure to begin! Several decades later, you can see Lige perform at Word of South as part of the 70th Anniversary of P-Funk line-up, a free event in the Adderley Amphitheater, Saturday April 5.

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A superior post-bop soloist, tenor saxophonist, composer, and educator David Detweiler is influenced a bit by early John Coltrane but has a sound and style of his own within the mainstream of modern jazz. He has earned his BM from William Paterson University, MM from Florida State University (2010), and DMA from the Eastman School of Music (2015). In 2016, David joined the Florida State University faculty as Assistant Professor of Jazz Saxophone after serving as Director of Jazz Studies at Nazareth College in Rochester, NY. He has performed at many of New York City’s premier live-music venues such as The Blue Note, Birdland, The Knitting Factory and The Iridium. David has also released New York Stories, The David Detweiler Trio, The Astoria Suite, and There Used To Be Rain which was released in 2023 on Centaur records. The album Celebrating Bird, co-led with bassist Fumi Tomita, was released on the Outside in Music record label.

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As the founding member and lead Singer/Songwriter for the Fried Turkeys, Tallahassee native Frank Douglas approaches the topics of love, lust, loss, politics and many other common societal themes with an ear for harmony and a head for irony. His tunes combine influences ranging from folk to blues to country to rock, and his lyrics take inspiration from sources ranging from the absurd, to the ongoing poetry of his 93-year-old mother, a lifelong muse. Some songs will make you laugh, and some may make you cry, and some will make you do both at the same time. Frank has recently released Now What, an album of 11 original songs. He’ll be appearing at this year’s Word of South with the authors Annie B. Jones and Craig Pittman.

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Blake H. Dowling is the Chief Executive Officer for Aegis Biz Tech headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida. He has worked with the firm for almost 20 years starting as an Account Executive in 2006 and becoming CEO in 2016. He attended the University of Florida and he began his career as an in the entertainment business working as Tour Manager for the Charlie Mars Band as well as working with Platinum selling recording artist Sister Hazel and many other musicians. In addition to his duties with Aegis, Blake is a regional columnist contributing business and technology columns to the Tallahassee Democrat, Florida Politics and others. He hosts a monthly Podcast called Biz & Tech featuring guests from around the state and he also put out a book in 2021 called Professionally Distanced. Blake also has served as Chair of the Board for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Big Bend as well as Board Chair of Tree House of Tallahassee, was a member of Leadership Tallahassee Class 27, is a member of the Capital City Bank Advisory Board, he recently joined the Word of South team as Board Member and serves on the Board of Trustees for Maclay School as well as the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, PLUS he is married to the legendary, beautiful and amazing rock star human being, Jeanne Dowling.

Podcast: Biz & Tech with Aegis | Podcast on Spotify

Book: Professionally Distanced: All Access stories from a Florida business during the 2020 pandemic: Dowling, Blake H., Block, Ken: 9798507600595: Amazon.com: Books

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The Eyrie is Tallahassee State College’s award-winning student art and literary magazine, which publishes original poetry, prose, art, and photography. The magazine also provides students enrolled in Literary Magazine Production at TSC with the experience of magazine production, from the evaluation of materials to blue-line copy. The Eyrie (the nest of a bird of prey) was founded in 1981 by two students, with the motto of “quality, good taste, and creativity.” The magazine is published annually and distributed free to all college personnel and students, and to the public upon request. For this year’s Word of South, the Eyrie will present readings, art, and photography from select students published in the 2024 and 2025 editions.

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Robert W. Fieseler is a journalist investigating marginalized groups and a scholar excavating forgotten histories. A National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association “Journalist of the Year” and recipient of the Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship, his debut book Tinderbox won seven awards, including the Edgar Award, and his reporting has appeared in Slate, Commonweal and River Teeth, among others. Fieseler graduated co-valedictorian from the Columbia Journalism School and is pursuing a PhD at Tulane University as a Mellon Fellow. He lives with his husband on the gayest street in New Orleans, and will be in conversation at Word of South with the author and publisher Kim MacQueen.

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Rafael Gamero is from Belize, Central America and teaches fiction writing at Florida A&M University as an Assistant Professor of English. He completed his MFA in Creative Writing from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and his fiction and nonfiction have appeared in The Caribbean Writer, Wasafiri, and Litro Magazine among others. Residing in Tallahassee, Florida, Gamero also dedicates his time to nurturing the literary community as the editor of the Apalachee Review.

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Outside of a venue in Chattanooga, Tennessee, musician with the New 76ers and local artist Danny Goddard found himself in deep conversation with a peddler. The man was seated on the stoop outside the bar with his dog and guitar trying to earn spare change while Goddard picked his brain. He’s willing to learn something about music from anyone and everyone—his lifelong quest is to find what connects humans emotionally to music.

The answer is still a mystery to Goddard, whether he’s playing a show for two thousand people or twenty. While the crowd dictates the energy of any given performance, he finds himself onstage transcending the mechanics of playing an instrument and falling into a trance. When Goddard does notice the audience, he’s amazed to see such a dynamic range of emotions from weeping to hugging, hanging from the rafters or dancing up a storm.

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Following a string of encounters too strange to be coincidence, Robbie Kingsley, Franco Solari, Dylan McCue, Andre Escobar and Zach Levy came together to form The Hails. Despite first playing in an insular Miami high school music scene, the band officially formed at the University of Florida in Gainesville, turning the tattered carpeting and beer bottle lined shelves of their shitty college house into a distinct, refined sound that is now synonymous with their name.

After graduation, the group made the pilgrimage back to their home of Miami, the city that directly influenced the sound of their early shimmering singles “Younger” and “Stay,” debut EP He Seems Upset (2020), and the subsequent Alive in Strange Ways (2021).

Firing the starting pistol of their current chapter, The Hails began rolling out singles from their debut album in October 2022. Recent highlights of the road include holding court at festivals like III Points, WonderStruck and Okeechobee, interspersed between sold-out shows, and tour support for WILLIS, The Happy Fits, The Beaches and the moss. Now with their debut album What’s Your Motive out in the world, The Hails will bring their new music to the road on their first ever headline tour, play at Governor’s Ball this June and continue creating and releasing new music all the while.

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The story of Waterville, OH indie-folk trio Oliver Hazard – Michael Belazis (vocals, guitar) and Devin East (vocals, guitar), joined by Nate Miner (keys, vocals) – is the digital age’s version of classic band mythmaking. One member of the band came home to Ohio after leading camping trips in California and decided to make an album with two childhood friends. They won a Facebook raffle to record one song at a studio. Instead, they played their whole album straight through once, resulting in their debut LP 34 N River (2018). The Fader called the album a “folk-pop masterpiece” and the band was booked at Bonnaroo and Mountain Jam shortly thereafter. In 2019, the band released their 6 track EP, The Flood, which Billboard called a “souvenir.” This brings the band to their sophomore, self-titled album (July 2023), featuring music from the band’s recent Northern Lights EP, plus five additional songs.

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Columnist Mark Hinson, who is a fifth generation North Floridian, has written for the Tallahassee Democrat and Tallahassee.com, both part of the USA Today Network, for more than 25 years. He has covered the arts and entertainment scene in the Capital City for the same amount of time. Over his long career, Hinson has interviewed and written about such musical figures as Mavis Staples, Philip Glass, George Clinton, Ella Fitzgerald, Renée Fleming, Jim White, Bo Diddley, Sam Moore, Alan Parson, Billy Preston and many more.

Mark will be in conversation at this year’s Word of South with writer Diane Roberts.

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Annie B. Jones owns The Bookshelf – an independent bookstore in beautiful downtown Thomasville, Georgia, where she’s lived happily with her husband, Jordan, for more than a decade. Annie also hosts From the Front Porch, a weekly podcast about books, small business, and life in the South. Her work and podcast have been featured in national media including Southern Living and Country Living magazines; and her first book, Ordinary Time: Lessons Learned While Staying Put, releases this April. She’ll be appearing at Word of South with the musician Frank Douglas and the author Craig Pittman.

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Ashley Jones is the Poet Laureate of Alabama (2022-2026). She is the first person of color and the youngest person to hold this position in Alabama’s history. She holds an MFA in Poetry from Florida International University, and she is the author of Magic City Gospel (Hub City Press 2017), dark / / thing (Pleiades Press 2019), and REPARATIONS NOW! (Hub City Press 2021). Her poetry has earned several awards, including the Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers Award, the Silver Medal in the Independent Publishers Book Awards, the Lena-Miles Wever Todd Prize for Poetry, a Literature Fellowship from the Alabama State Council on the Arts, the Lucille Clifton Poetry Prize, and the Lucille Clifton Legacy Award. She is the Associate Director of the University Honors Program at UAB and a PhD student in English at Old Dominion University. She’ll be appearing with the poet Jacqueline Trimble at this year’s Word of South.

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James Kimbrell’s poems have appeared in anthologies including the Best American Poetry and the Pushcart Prize Anthology. The recipient of a Florida Arts Council fellowship, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, his most recent collection is The Law of Truly Large Numbers (Pitt Poetry Series, 2025). He is a native of Mississippi and has taught for over two decades at Florida State University where he serves as distinguished research professor. He’ll be appearing at Word of South with the poet Rafael Gamero.

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David Kirby is a poet, critic, and scholar. Influenced by artists as diverse as John Keats and Little Richard, Kirby writes distinctive long-lined narrative poems that braid together high and popular culture, personal memory, philosophy, and humor. “One thing that I want to do in the poems is to portray the mind as it actually works,” he stated in a 2007 interview with Craig Morgan Teacher. Kirby is the author of more than two dozen volumes of criticism, essays, children’s literature, pedagogy, and poetry. His numerous collections of poetry include: The Ha-Ha (2003), short-listed for the Griffin Poetry Prize, The House on Boulevard Street: New and Selected Poems (2007), a finalist for the National Book Award and winner of the Florida Book Award and Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Award, and his most recent, More Than This. Since 1969 he has taught at Florida State University, where he has received several teaching awards. He lives in Tallahassee, Florida, with his wife, poet Barbara Hamby, and will be appearing at this year’s Word of South with the musician Larry Mitchell.

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Kristy’s career started in the early 2000’s with an exclusive deal through Target Stores across the U.S. releasing her 1st album, Lifescapes. She’s been touring the U.S. and overseas for the last 20+ years. Her latest release (Aug 2023), The Olive Tree, debuted at #1 on the iTunes blues charts

Kristy’s raw authenticity has captured the hearts of a loyal international fan base as well as some of music’s top names. She has toured and shared the stage with Leon Russell, Zac Brown Band, Indigo Girls, G. Love & Special Sauce, Jack Johnson, Jason Isbell, Sister Hazel and Imagine Dragons – to name a few. She has played some of the most prestigious music festivals in the world including BluesFest Australia, the Hangout Fest, 30A Songwriters Festival, Cayamo & The Rock Boat Festivals at Sea, and her own conception, the Unleashed Women’s Music Festival in Pensacola, Florida. Her music transcends genres, lifts heavy spirits and promotes the healing that we all sometimes need. Her songs tend to be true stories of her own journey, her loved one’s struggles and accomplishments, and overall positive messages that the world can relate to – and needs to hear. Kristy’s unique style of music is the background music to all our lives.

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Pat MacEnulty is the author of a historical novel series, crime novels, memoirs, a short story collection, children’s plays, and most recently, the historical coming-of-age novel, Cinnamon Girl (Livingston Press, Sept. 2023). She has a Ph.D. in English from the Florida State University and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Florida, where she studied creative writing with the late Harry Crews. She currently writes book reviews and features for the Historical Novel Society Review and teaches magazine writing at Florida A&M University. She’ll be appearing at this year’s Word of South with fellow historical fiction author Madeline Martin.

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Maurice began his music career fronting local and regional rock bands and performing solo at bars and other hangouts in eastern North Carolina. Eventually, he moved to Washington, D.C. which afforded him opportunities to open for the likes of John Mayer, Annie Lennox, Maroon 5, Tonic, Collective Soul, Sister Hazel and many more. Mangum’s warm tenor vocals and rhythmic-style guitar strumming prove he’s completely comfortable conveying the messages and melodies of his songs. On March 13th, 2024, Maurice unveiled six, soul-stirring songs that pull from a mix of folk, rock and country roots. Recorded at Gasoline Alley Recording Studios in Tallahassee Florida, the EP was produced by multi-platinum and award-winning producer, John Kurzweg (Jewel, Scott Stapp, The Villains). On November 4th, 2024, Maurice opened a sold-out show for Sixpence None The Richer in Raleigh, NC, for which he received rave reviews. After the show, Sixpence was quoted as saying, “Magical performance & an incredible voice!” Three of the recent efforts were co-written by Jeff Carson of Austin, Texas, Christian artist/Cindy Morgan, The Choir’s/Steve Hindalong, & Phil Madeira (Emmylou Harris).

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Growing up in Mississippi, Charlie Mars was a kid who listened to the radio a lot. WNSL played 80’s pop radio hits, and he also got into classic singer-songwriters like Neil Young and Jackson Browne.

Charlie writes his own songs with the intent of never squeezing himself into a single genre. He tried to keep his initial songs “classic,” and he always liked Country music (the less popular kind). He then got into Jam Bands and Alt-Country music, especially Uncle Tupelo. He majored in English while attending college at SMU in Dallas and always liked being a wordsmith. A friend introduced Charlie to Daniel Lanois’ music which inspired him to start experimenting more with atmospheric sounds. Like any songwriter worth his salt, Charlie employs his art as a channel towards personal discovery, candidly exploring all the human limitations – from pride and fear to cynicism self-doubt – that stand in the way of his attaining true happiness.

He has released 7 studio albums, a series of EPs, and several singles over the past 20 years. He’s shared the stage with the likes of REM, KT Tunstall and Steve Earle, and has been profiled in Forbes, USA Today, American Songwriter and many major media outlets. If you ask him, Charlie says he’s made a living playing in small clubs and backyards. But he still wants to have a tour bus and play in front of big crowds. “It’s fun to have a dream. It keeps me going” he says. “I can’t believe I made it this far in music. I figure while I had the chance, I should try to represent the people and the culture that shaped me.” He’ll be appearing at Word of South with author Blake Dowling.

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Acclaimed trombonist, producer and educator Delfeayo Marsalis has been praised for his “technical excellence, inventive mind and frequent touches of humor,” and heralded and hailed as one of “the best, most imaginative and musical of the trombonists of his generation.” In addition to leading his own small groups and the dynamic Uptown Jazz Orchestra over the years, Marsalis has performed with music legends such as Ray Charles, Fats Domino, Art Blakey, and Elvin Jones. He has released 10 recordings as leader to critical acclaim and has steadily gained a reputation for being “a merchant of joy!”

Since producing his first album at the age of 17, Marsalis has produced over 125 recordings, yielding 1 Grammy and 7 nominations. He is the founder of three non-profits designed to help strengthen the New Orleans arts community: the Uptown Music Theatre, Uptown Jazz Orchestra, and Keep New Orleans Music Alive! Marsalis’ ground-breaking educational program, Swinging with the Cool School, a soft introduction to jazz for hip tots and adults, was implemented in the local Children’s Hospital as an experimental form of music therapy in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Marsalis has reached over 6,000 students nationally through Cool School programming

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Madeline Martin is a New York Times, USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly, and international bestselling author of historical fiction and historical romance with books that have been translated into over twenty-five different languages. She lives in sunny Florida with her two daughters (known collectively as the minions), two incredibly spoiled cats and a man so wonderful he’s been dubbed Mr. Awesome. She is a die-hard history lover who will happily lose herself in research any day. When she’s not writing, researching or “moming”, you can find her spending time with her family at Disney or sneaking a couple spoonfuls of Nutella while laughing over cat videos. She also loves to travel, attributing her fascination with history to having spent most of her childhood as an Army brat in Germany. She’ll be appearing at Word of South with fellow historical fiction author Pat MacEnulty.

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Donna Meredith’s award-winning books include The Glass Madonna, The Color of Lies, Wet Work, Fraccidental Death and Magic in the Mountains. A retired teacher and past president of the Tallahassee Writers Association, she holds degrees from Fairmont State, West Virginia University, and Nova Southeastern. She has presented numerous workshops on writing and literature for writers associations, libraries, and civic groups. She serves as associate editor of the Southern Literary Review. Donna will moderate the Florida Book Award fiction panel at Word of South 2025.

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Larry Mitchell exemplifies the success that can be achieved when one chooses to follow his passion. The gifted Grammy Award winning performer, producer, and engineer continues to amaze. Larry’s guitar textures demonstrate his abilities as a solo artist and as an ensemble player. Larry has had the opportunity to tour with Tracy Chapman, Billy Squier, Ric Ocasek, and Miguel Bosѐ. While on tour with Tracy Chapman, Larry performed for the late Nelson Mandela. In 1999, Larry won a San Diego music award for Best Pop Jazz artist.

In 2007, Larry won a Grammy Award for producing, engineering and performing on the Best Native American Music Album, “Totemic Flute Chants”, by Native American artist Johnny Whitehorse, who is best known as Robert Mirabal. Larry is also the proud recipient of 26 New Mexico Music Awards in various categories which include pop, adult, contemporary, rap, rock, country World music, and Native American music with artists such as Dawn Avery, Joy Harjo, and Shelley Morningsong. In 2009, Larry had the honor of playing on the Dalia Lama Renaissance album.

Larry’s newest release “The Light within” (acoustic) 10th and “Shadows on the Soul” 11th (Electric) can be purchase and streamed on larrymitchell.bandcamp.com.

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Mustard Service is an Indie rock band based in Miami, Florida, formed in 2015. Self-described as “zest pop”, the band’s music draws influences from rock, surf, jazz, funk, and bossa nova. Consisting of Marco Rivero Ochoa on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Gabriel Marinuchi (or “Nuchi”) on lead guitar, Augusto “Tuto” Di Catarina on bass, Leo Cattani on keyboard, and Adam Perez on drums. Containing elements drawn from a variety of genres, including jazz, funk, surf, and R&B, but is most often described as indie rock or indie pop. Reviewers often describe their music as “beachy”, and the band cites the Beach Boys as their main influence.

“Hey hi hello, Mustard Service here. We are a group of five boys from Miami, Florida just looking for a good time.”

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Mark Mustian is the founder of the Word of South Festival, and a former Tallahassee City Commissioner. His novel The Gendarme was shortlisted for the Saroyan International Award for Writing and has been published in ten languages. He’ll be reading from and discussing his new novel, Boy With Wings, at this year’s Word of South, where he’ll be appearing with the keyboardist Daniel Bedrosian.

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TJ Norris and The Wednesday Night Revival bring the unmistakable grooves of New Orleans funk and soul to life, blending the city’s rich musical traditions with a modern twist. Featuring the rhythm section of the Grammy-nominated band The Rumble, the group delivers electrifying performances full of deep grooves, tight rhythms, and soulful energy that captivate audiences.

Band leader TJ Norris holds Jazz Studies degrees from both Florida A&M University and Florida State University, earning his bachelor’s and master’s, respectively. His musical foundation and passion for jazz deeply influence the band’s dynamic sound.

TJ Norris and The Wednesday Night Revival are thrilled to share their unique musical experience at the Word of the South Festival in Tallahassee, Florida, celebrating the power of funk, soul, and jazz to move and inspire.

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Kevin Oliver has been a professional musician since 1970. He has recorded on Warner Brothers, Casablanca, RCA, Arista, CBS and a host of other independent labels. Kevin is a member of the group Parliament-Funkadelic, as well as several other groups, having recorded and played with many world-class musicians. Kevin travels and performs all over the U.S., Japan, Europe, Canada and Mexico. Kevin is also multilingual, being comfortable speaking in many languages. You can see Kevin perform at Word of South as part of the 70th Anniversary of P-Funk line-up, a free event in the Adderley Amphitheater, Saturday April 5.

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“Let us advance our mortal bodies up
Where hearts and minds will go
Let’s walk, let’s roll.”

So sings Madeleine Peyroux on the upbeat title track of her captivating ninth album, Let’s Walk, the acclaimed singer-songwriter’s most assured, courageous work to date. Powered by the distinctive, honeyed croon that delivered her from the Paris streets to concert halls, these ten unabashedly personal songs, all co-written by the versatile Peyroux, deftly interweave jazz, folk, and chamber pop, with themes ranging from the confessional to the political, from whimsy to yearning. In every note, Peyroux digs deep, rendering this exquisite work with the disarming grace and gravitas of an artist in peak form.

For the ardently civic-minded Peyroux, Let’s Walk continues the scintillating conversation with her audience–and with the world at large. “This music is part of a dialogue,” she says. “That’s what art is. It’s engagement, community. I believe more than anything in getting together with people and listening to music and conversing. Music is the only way I’ve ever built community.”

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The Pharaohs of Funk is led by Kirk Gavin and Aaron Watson, a dynamic duo with over a decade of experience captivating audiences across the U.S. and internationally as the acclaimed Tallahassee Horns. Renowned for their versatility and artistry, the Tallahassee Horns have performed alongside iconic legends such as George Clinton, Fred Wesley, Ricky Dillard, and Bobby Watson, among others.

The Pharaohs of Funk bring their unparalleled energy to stages across the Southeast, delivering an electrifying show that fuses soulful vocals and masterful horn playing into an unforgettable musical experience. Audiences are consistently amazed by their high-energy performances and exceptional talent.

Step into the groove and join the journey—experience the magic of The Pharaohs of Funk.

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Craig Pittman is a native Floridian, a best-selling author, a podcaster and an award-winning environmental journalist. Born in Pensacola, he graduated from Troy State University in Alabama, where his muckraking work for the student paper prompted an agitated dean to label him “the most destructive force on campus.” In 40 years as a newspaper reporter, Craig covered a variety of beats and quite a few natural disasters, including hurricanes, wildfires and the Florida Legislature. He now writes a weekly column on environmental issues for the Florida Phoenix and is co-host of the popular podcast “Welcome to Florida.” Craig is also the author of seven non-fiction books. The newest one is Welcome to Florida: True Tales from America’s Most Interesting State. The Florida Heritage Book Festival named Craig a Florida Literary Legend in 2020, and in 2022 he was given the Rachel Carson Award by the Sierra Club. Craig lives in St. Petersburg with his wife and two children. He’ll be appearing at Word of South with the author Annie B. Jones and the musician Frank Douglas.

 

Named one of the “Top 100 Most Influential People in Florida Politics” by Influence Magazine, Attorney Sean Pittman is an advocate, philanthropist, and thought leader in the areas of policy, politics, education, and law. Florida Trend magazine named Sean “A Must Know Contact” in Florida’s Capital and a “Top 500 Business Leader in Florida.” Sean has managed, advised, and worked on dozens of local, statewide, and national campaigns.

His professional accolades are surpassed only by his civic and philanthropic endeavors. Sean was awarded the Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. Lawyer of the Year Award by the National Bar Association (NBA), one of Florida State University’s highest recognitions, the Vires Award, the Distinguished Member of the Year Award from Leadership Florida, the Servant Leadership Award by the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce and was inducted into the Tallahassee Barristers Association Hall of Fame. Sean is a Past President of the Orange Bowl Committee, served as General Counsel for the NBA, is a Board Member of the American Diabetes Association, Founder and Chairman of the Big Bend Minority Chamber of Commerce, and Trustee for the Florida State University Foundation and National Football Foundation. Among his many philanthropic efforts, Sean created an FSU College of Law Scholarship for minority students. Sean also created the Wilhelmina Foundation in honor of his mother to provide textbook stipends to high school graduates.

Sean is a co-host of the TV talk show “The Usual Suspects,” airing on one of the highest-watched CBS affiliates in the country and hosts his own radio show and podcast series, “The Sean Pittman Show.” Sean authored Disaffected! Access vs. Apathy – Why Every Election is the Election of a Lifetime and has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, CBS and Fox News, and published in USA Today, the Tallahassee Democrat, the Miami Herald, and the Palm Beach Post.

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Tommy Prine’s debut album This Far South (June 2023) was not only a long-awaited introduction but a testimony to Prine’s 20s and the loss, love, and growth that has defined them. Co-produced by a close friend and kindred musical spirit, Ruston Kelly, and beloved Nashville engineer and producer, Gena Johnson, the album is rich and dynamic from cathartic jams to nostalgic storytelling. Celebrating the album’s first year, Tommy released a deluxe version of the record on June 21, 2024 – featuring reimagined versions, a special guest and a brand-new song.

“Releasing my debut album changed so much in my life. The only things that stayed the same were my family, my pets, and my friends. Everything else changed drastically. I’ve had a few moments that felt like the point of no return, releasing the album being one of them. Not in a scary way, just in a way that there is no taking back art that you put out into the world. Once it has affected one other person, it has already begun its own life and will in turn change the creator’s life.”

Prine is currently crisscrossing the country headlining shows with his band and appearing at festivals including Green River, Bristol Rhythm & Roots, and Bourbon & Beyond. This past year, Prine opened for Jason Isbell and Tyler Childers, was named one of Amazon Music’s 2023 Breakthrough Artists to Watch and wrapped up the year by making his Grand Ole Opry debut.

Tommy learned to play guitar by watching his father, mimicking the ways his fingers moved, he inadvertently developed his own singular style. Prine sonically brings together a colorful patchwork of musical influences spanning Gillian Welch, Outkast, Bon Iver, the Strokes and more. Lyrically, Tommy explores existential questions and emotional experiences in his music.

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Chuck Reece and his wife Stacy are the founders of the online magazine Salvation South, and believe that every Southerner sees their home region differently. Their stories are as unique as the South’s people, and Salvation South wants to give every Southerner who has a knack for telling a good story a place to tell theirs. Salvation South also extends into the world of the spoken word. Through their partnership with Georgia Public Broadcasting, they produce the Salvation South Podcast, a weekly series of short commentaries about people and things Southern. In late 2023, that podcast expanded with the addition of Salvation South Deluxe—special half-hour shows that tell deeper stories about Southerners who are reaching across the barriers of culture and color that once divided us. A former editor of the online magazine The Bitter Southerner, Chuck will be moderating the Salvation South stage over the weekend, interviewing some of the artists, and doing a few other interesting things.

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The award-winning Rickards High School Marching Raider Band is the premier ensemble of the James S. Rickards Band program. The ensemble serves to establish musicality, discipline, esprit de corps and instill the band’s motto of P.R.I.D.E., and performs at varsity football games, basketball games, pep rallies, parades and other performances. They’ll be kicking off this year’s Word of South with a march through Cascades Park Saturday morning.

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Since coming of age in the nurturing environment of a very musical family and a distinguished bloodline of drummers, New Orleans native Herlin Riley emerged from that most creative era of all things rhythmic in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, to enliven the ensembles of such influential and demanding improvisers as pianist Ahmad Jamal and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis through his commanding yet elegant rhythmic presence. He has also worked with George Benson, Harry Connick, Jr., and Marcus Roberts. Riley played a large part in developing the drum parts for Wynton Marsalis’s Pulitzer Prize-winning album, Blood on the Fields.

His authoritative style of melodic percussion is deeply imbued in the fertile creative soil of the Crescent City, encompassing as it does the entire length and breadth of America’s ongoing musical journey.

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If you are a fan of the FSU Seminoles or a resident of Florida, you know – or should know – about the writings of Tallahassee’s own Diane Roberts. Her book, Tribal, a comic, critical analysis of a Southern intellectual’s love of FSU football and distaste for the excesses that go with it, made several Best of Book lists in 2015, and her book Dream State is being reissued in a 20th anniversary edition by the University Press of Florida. Dr. Roberts is a professor of creative writing at Florida State who received her undergraduate degree at FSU and doctorate at Oxford University in England. The author of four books, she is known for her spot-on interpretations of Southern culture and her sardonic sense of humor. She writes op-ed articles for major newspapers and has been a commentator for NPR and the BBC. Diane will be in conversation at this year’s Word of South with writer and journalist Mark Hinson.

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The Rough & Tumble are a folk/Americana duo, consisting of Mallory Graham & Scott Tyler. Forming in 2011, they spent 8 years full time in a 16ft camper with two big dogs, playing roughly 150 shows a year. At home at festivals, listening rooms, and house concerts across the country, their commanding stage presence, engaging performances and affecting songwriting won them official showcases at Folk Alliance International, NERFA, SERFA and the Independent Music Awards Americana Song of the Year for their song The Hardest Part. In 2023 they received recognition for their work in New England as recipients of Club Passim’s Iguana Music Fund. Only This Far, the band’s most notable work, was released in 2023 and has been described as “Quality songs, well written, well played, well sung and arranged, and a pleasure from start to end.” In November 2024, The Rough & Tumble released Hymns For My Atheist Sister and Her Friends To Sing Along To, a collection of deeply personal, unifying and uplifting, humanist gospel songs.

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Danny Bedrosian & Secret Army, led by Danny Bedrosian as lead vocalist, keyboardist, producer, chief songwriter, arranger, and publisher, is a patchwork of genres, sounds, and spiritual creeds under one unifying musical force. Their innovative fusion of Funk, Middle Eastern music, R&B, Hip-Hop, Rock, and proto-classical movements creates a compelling and distinctive vibe. The foundation of their rock-solid rhythm is laid by Parliament-Funkadelic/P-Funk All Stars bassist Lige Curry and P-Funk drummer Benjamin “Benzel” Cowan, forming a whole new and unique genre bending sound that captivates audiences everywhere.

Secret Army has proven itself with its own innovative brand of alternative music, offering a powerful commentary on the state of unity in our world. Their hypnotic musical journey, both endearing and baffling, leaves listeners in endless delight with their original approach. The band’s vibrant animation and cartoons, created by artist Nathan Boucher, add a distinctive visual element to their performances.

Secret Army has performed in front of millions of fans across all six livable continents, showcasing their marketable sound and vital energy. Their accomplishments and distinctive sound make them a must-see act that leaves a lasting impression on everyone who experiences their music.

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The Shindellas are a female band formed under the belief that when women come together, powerful things can happen. The Shindellas are comprised of three brilliantly talented women, Kasi Jones (Singer), Stacy Johnson (Singer/Guitarist) and Tamara Chauniece (Singer). Each member was introduced by multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated, songwriting and production duo, Chuck Harmony and Claude Kelly, also known as the progressive band Louis York. The Shindellas explore Jazz, Soul and true R&B to create a unique genre of music for their audience. They are proponents of self-love, empowerment, and elegance, which are tenets they work hard to spread through their music. The Shindellas will appear at Word of South as part of our Plaza Fest ‘festival within a festival’ Saturday April 5.

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Michael Farris Smith is an award-winning writer whose novels have appeared on Best of the Year lists with Esquire, NPR, Southern Living, Garden & Gun, Oprah Magazine, Book Riot, and numerous other outlets, and have been named Indie Next, Barnes & Noble Discover, and Amazon Best of the Month selections. As a screenwriter, he scripted the feature-film adaptations of his novels Desperation Road and The Fighter, titled for the screen as Rumble Through the Dark. With his band MFS & The Smokes, Smith wrote and released the record Lostville, which was produced by Grammy nominee Jimbo Mathus. He lives in Oxford, Mississippi, with his wife and daughters. Michael will be appearing at Word of South in a singer/songwriter confab with the musicians Caleb Caudle, Tommy Prine, and BJ Barham and in a separate appearance and conversation with Chuck Reece.

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Del Suggs is an original. Del is a singer/songwriter and guitarist from the beaches of North Florida and is considered by many to be one of the founders and pioneers of “Trop Rock” (tropical rock) music. Del began to perform in a similar style, which he called “Saltwater Music,” drawing on his experiences growing up along the gulf coast in Panama City, Florida. Del has released five solo albums: Living Deliberately, LIVE, Floating On The Surface, Wooden Boat, and Saltwater Music. He has also been a featured artist on seven compilation albums, including Tallahassee Selects, Music From The Rascal Yard, The Prime Meridian, The Cascades Collection, and A Cascades Christmas. His continued success is a reflection of the broad appeal and timelessness of his music. Del is one of those individuals who comes on stage as a stranger, and leaves it as a friend. Del will be appearing at Word of South with the authors and journalists Mollie Hemingway and Jess Bravin.

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The mission of the TSO is to engage, enrich, and inspire people at all stages of life through great music.” Founded in 1979 by Hungarian immigrant Nicholas Harsanyi—a student of Bartók, Dohnányi, and Kodály—the TSO has long-aspired to serve Florida’s historic Capital City through thrilling performances, edifying educational programs, and inclusive community engagement initiatives, many free of charge.
 
Over its 42-year history the TSO has worked in schools and community centers, has presented annual outdoor events that showcase the area’s natural and mysterious beauty, and has developed robust partnerships with our city’s 3 higher-educational institutions and our City/County governments.
 
In recent years, the TSO has embarked on ambitious new projects—such as a 35th anniversary gala with soprano Renee Fleming, the creation of a jazz orchestra, and the adoption of Carnegie Hall’s educational ‘Link Up’ program—and has embraced social justice concerts, such as the 2017 “Requiem of Resistance” concert, a 2019 performance of Joel Thompson’s Seven Last Words of the Unarmed, and a planned community concert celebrating Florida’s Emancipation Day in May, 2023. The TSO will be appearing with the musical group Violent Femmes at Word of South.

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Jacqueline Allen Trimble lives and writes in Montgomery, Alabama. She is a National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellow (Poetry), a Cave Canem Fellow, and an Alabama State Council on the Arts Literary Fellow (2017, 2023). In addition to her academic work, her poetry has appeared in various journals including Poetry Magazine, The Louisville Review, The Offing, The Rumpus, Salvation South, and Poet Lore and has also been featured by the Poetry Foundation’s Poem of the Day twice, Poetry Daily, Poem-a Day, and Duke University’s Hart Leadership Program Poem of the Week. Her work is included in the following anthologies: This is The Honey: An Anthology of Contemporary African American Poetry (Little Brown, 2024), a collection of the best of contemporary African American poetry; All Night, All Day: Life, Death and Angels, (Madville Publishing, 2023), a collection of poems and essays about angels, The Beautiful: Poet’s Reimagine a Nation (Galaula Arts), a collection of visual poems from each U.S. state and a traveling exhibit, The Night’s Magician (Negative Capability Press), a collection of eighty poems by contemporary writers on the moon, and essays on writing appear in “A Woman Explains How Learning Poetry is Poetry and Not Magic Made Her a Poet“ Southern Writers on Writing (University Press of Mississippi), essays from twenty-six contemporary Southern writers, and Old Enough,(UGA Press, 2024) a collection of essays on aging and creativity by women artists. Trimble earned a B.A. from Huntingdon College and the M.A. andPh.D.in English from the University of Alabama. She is Professor of English and chairs the Department of Languages and Literatures at Alabama State University. She’ll be appearing at Word of South with the poet Ashley Jones.

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Jeff VanderMeer grew up in the Fiji Islands and currently lives in Tallahassee, Florida and Portland, Oregon. His critically acclaimed New York Times-bestselling Southern Reach Trilogy has been published in 20 countries, and the Paramount Pictures film of the first book in the trilogy, Annihilation, starring Natalie Portman, was released in 2018. Jeff’s subsequent fiction, Borne, The Strange Bird, and Dead Astronauts, has been optioned for television by AMC. Jeff’s new novel Absolution, the fourth in the Southern Reach series, is an international bestseller. VanderMeer’s nonfiction has appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Atlantic, Washington Post, the Guardian, and many more.

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Violent Femmes formed in 1981 as an acoustic punk band playing on the streets of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Their main influences at that time were Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps and The Velvet Underground. Their goal was to rock harder than any other acoustic act on the planet.

After being rejected for an audition by a local nightclub, the Femmes set up outside a Pretenders gig and began to play. Pretenders’ lead singer Chrissie Hynde asked them to open that night’s show, which gave the young band a publicity boost and caught the attention of Richard Hell, who invited the Femmes to open for him in NYC. A rave review in the New York Times eventually led to a record deal, which in turn spawned worldwide touring.

Violent Femmes eponymous debut album became the first and only album in Billboard history to enter the charts with a platinum certification- eight years after its release. Over the ensuing three decades, the Femmes became a mainstay of festivals, clubs, and theaters in more than 20 countries worldwide.

MTV’s “Unplugged” show was inspired by the Femmes, although they never actually appeared on it. Their raw sound and honest lyrical perspective has been cited as an influence by artists as diverse as Pink, Keith Urban, The Smiths, The Pixies, John Cusack, Mark Morris, and Wim Wenders.

More than 40 years into their careers, Violent Femmes continue to attract young audiences on tour, create lasting music, and inspire people of all ages.

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The Unpacking Paula books are collections of the author’s writings over the years. In her life, Paula Walborsky has been a local commentator for WFSU/NPR, a teacher of the deaf and a lawyer. She also was a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a stepmother, a wife, a cook and gardener, a friend, a Democrat, and an opinionated person, too. Paula has been an avid water aerobics participant and traveled widely and lived abroad. She has also written and collaborated on several cookbooks. Writing down her memories and thoughts, Paula published them as Unpacking Paula, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. For Paula, Tallahassee, Florida has been her home for decades, although she moved constantly, it seemed, from one naval base to another. Now, Paula has roots. And she has written about that, too. She has even written her own obituary. At least three times. She is quoted as saying, “Okay. OCD may be a teeny issue. I have not quite figured out how to write about my own death. But I’m working on it.” This year, Paula will moderate Word of South’s FBA nonfiction panel.

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Maddy Walsh is the lead singer, co-songwriter and co-founder of nationally touring, Ithaca NY-based Moxy Rock band Maddy Walsh & The Blind Spots, with whom she has released four records (El Camino Dream, 2010; Small Stampede, 2012; Rhizomatic, 2015; and Talk, 2018), several singles, and accompanying music videos. She has also released three solo albums (Patchwork, 2007; The Tunnel Sessions, 2021; and Humanmade Thing, 2021) as well as an EP (That Good Life, 2018) she recorded with her father in their acoustic duo called Madd Daddy.

Walsh holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Creative Writing from the State University of New York at Binghamton and a Master’s Degree in the same field (with a concentration in poetry and creative nonfiction) from California State University at Sacramento. She finds her greatest joys in music, travel, yoga, kids, cooking, red wine, thrift shopping, driving around with her partner in all things (the co-founder and co-songwriter for MW&TBS and most of her musical projects, guitarist, composer, and husband), Mike Suave, and in her baby boy, Rhodi Rocket.

While Walsh often writes music for joy, dancing, and connection, her catalog also showcases her fierce sense of social justice and empathy within our conflicted political climate and complicated world, displaying a heart as big as her voice, as the two walk hand-in-hand through her songs.

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M.O. Walsh is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels My Sunshine Away, The Big Door Prize, and the story collection The Prospect of Magic. His fiction and essays have appeared in The Guardian, the New York Times, The Southern Review, The Paris Review, and others. His most recent novel The Big Door Prize was a finalist for the James Thurber Award for American Humor and adapted for television by David West Read (Schitt’s Creek). It is now streaming as a series on Apple TV. Walsh currently directs the Creative Writing Workshop at the University of New Orleans and The Yokshop in Oxford, MS, where he lives with his family near the southern shore of Lake Pontchartrain. He’s appearing at Word of South as part of the community One Book Tally read sponsored by Tallahassee’s bookstore Midtown Reader.

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Dr. Fred Wheatt (B.M., M.A., J.D.) is the director of Fulla Love Orchestra. Wheatt is also a recipient of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States & Canada’s Charles Walton Diversity Award. Fulla Love is composed of many multicultural music performers and educators. Members have performed with many of the top names in entertainment, including The Indianapolis Philharmonic Orchestra, The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, The Cleveland Chamber Orchestra, The Cleveland Pops Orchestra, the Atlanta African-American Philharmonic Orchestra, Sammie Davis, Jr., Grover Washington, Jr., Lou Rawls, Stevie Wonder, Jack Jones, Patti Paige, Barry White, and the Love Unlimited Orchestra, Joe Williams, Carmen McCrae, and Aretha Franklin. Gladys Knight, Little Anthony and The Imperials, Curtis Mayfield, Melba Moore, The O’Jays, The Temptations, Chuck Berry, and many more.

Dr. Fred Wheatt will be appearing with his daughter, Dalia, in an author/musician pairing that we call a “mu-aushup”. Dr. Fred Wheatt also gives extensively to his community, including time spent serving as a Nite to Shine Volunteer in the Cleveland area and as a Back to School Blast Volunteer where donors enable hundreds of students grades K – 12 each year to receive free physical, dental, vision and hearing screenings, backpacks and school supplies, haircuts and books.

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“Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard, grow big, wear glasses if you need ’em.” With this fearless credo, Webb Wilder has been playing his own brand of country-accented, retro-styled rock & roll since the ’80s, and created a tongue-in-cheek but larger-than-life persona to go along with it. He built this from his debut album, It Came From Nashville, (which was chosen one of the Top 10 Southern Rock albums of All Time by Paste magazine,) to Billboard rock hits like Human Cannonball and Tough it Out, and now 12 albums to his credit.

Webb was honored to participate in Shemekia Copeland’s recent Grammy nominated LP Uncivil War co-writing and performing on the track She Don’t Wear Pink. Webb’s engaging personality led him to become one of America’s first Satellite DJs on XM Radio. He’s now a DJ and the host of the Americana Countdown show on WMOT radio/Nashville as well as continuing his three-decade career as an Electrifying Artist on stages worldwide.