Lake Martin…The Shoreline of Songwriting

The annual Lake Martin Songwriters Festival is an event many locals and tourists look forward to all year long. For five days, this event spotlights the songwriters behind many big-name artists, while also highlighting some of Tallapoosa County’s finest restaurants and music venues. Lake Martin, a songwriter’s sanctuary, is an area that has come to celebrate the history and magic of the music industry. 

So, lets answer the question we’ve all been dying to know: How did Lake Martin become the ‘shoreline of songwriting’? 

In 1952, country music legend Hank Williams strummed his way into Alexander City after months of life in the spotlight and personal affairs gone awry. For Hank, Lake Martin was an escape; and thanks to a man named Darwin Dobbs, Williams had a place to stay to get the rest and relaxation he desperately needed.

It was on the shores of Lake Martin that Hank drew inspiration for his hit “Kaw-Liga.” After he took residency in the Dobbs cabin, the lapping shores and old knotty pinewood flooring spoke to Williams. Hank began to capture the essence of Lake Martin through song. He sings of Indian Chief “Kaw-liga,” who longs for a woman in his tribe, making the knots in the pinewood a metaphor for knots of the heart. Maybe Hank reflected his own personal longing for peace and serenity through his hit song.  

Williams called Lake Martin home the last months of his life. During this time, Hank, and local legends alike, laid the foundations of Lake Martin shoreline songwriting. 70 years later, that foundation still stands strong with songwriters from all over the world traveling to Tallapoosa County. The 2022 Lake Martin Songwriters Festival celebrates everything Hank loved about Lake Martin.

Like Williams, many songwriters featured in the festival lineup crave the beauty and intimacy of small-town life. The lake, and its community, offers a chance for artists to ‘take a beat’ and write catchy radio hits like “Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not” or “When I Think About Angels.” 

Undoubtedly, times have changed since Hank and the Drifting Cowboys. Artists not only come to perform and play at different venues, but also to gather with other musicians and local professionals to network, collaborate and create. Streaming services and other online platforms of today’s music industry can make it difficult for songwriters to profit from their talents. The songwriters festival provides an opportunity for these artists to do what they love without compromising their livelihood- and the beautiful shores of Lake Martin make it all the better. 

You can expect to see some new and familiar faces performing this year. Many of the songwriters are native to the South, while others are traveling across the globe to experience Lake Martin. 

Grammy nominated artist and #1 hit songwriter Jamie O’Neal is just one musician that is thrilled to be traveling to the shoreline of songwriting. Hailing from Australia, O’Neal now resides in Nashville, where she spends her time writing and composing music. 

Jamie is known to draw inspiration from her surroundings, writing the #1 hit song “There Is No Arizona” based on views from the Grand Canyon and charming communities in Sedona, AZ. 

One of the things she is most excited about is the charm associated with Lake Martin.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing Lake Martin, I’ve heard so many great things about it and seen so many photos, and its absolutely just a gorgeous spot,” said O’Neal. 

Perhaps, like Hank, O’Neal will craft another #1 song from her time on the shores of our beautiful Lake Martin. Maybe she, like Hank, is longing for the serene sound of the shoreline to inspire her next hit.

As members of the community and lovers of the lake, its our job to help support these artists while sharing our slice of songwriting heaven. “Its the perfect date night,” singer/songwriter Blue Foley said of the Lake Martin Songwriters Festival. 

So, let’s celebrate the magic of music-making on Lake Martin and share the song of our beautiful shoreline.

For more information about the artists, venues and show times, please visit https://lakemartinsongwritersfestival.com/.