sevier county area residents chosen as finalists in sevierville’s mountain soul vocal competition

Willow Osborne of Pigeon Forge, Kelly Coberly of Sevierville, and Gabrielle Ambrose and Murrella Parton of Seymour were all selected as finalists in the 4 th Annual Mountain Soul Vocal Competition. This unique competition honors the songwriting of Dolly Parton in her hometown of Sevierville, Tennessee by asking contestants to sing one of the more than 3,000 songs Dolly has written in the style of his or her own choosing. Osborne, Coberly, Ambrose and Parton will all compete in the Mountain Soul Vocal Competition finals on May 17, 2008, during the Bloomin’ BBQ & Bluegrass festival in Sevierville, Tennessee. The contest begins at 11:30am by the bronze statue of Dolly Parton on the Sevier County Courthouse lawn. Each contestant will sing their own rendition of a Dolly-written song. Osborne will perform “Apple Jack.” Coberly will sing “Tennessee Homesick Blues.” Ambrose will sing “High and Mighty.” Parton will sing “Smoky Mountain Memories.”
Altogether, 23 finalists will perform in the competition. Entrees came from all over the eastern half of the United States. About two-thirds of the finalists are from Tennessee with other finalists coming from Georgia, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Alabama.
The Mountain Soul Vocal Competition is part of Bloomin’ BBQ & Bluegrass, a Tennessee State Championship BBQ Cook-Off, bluegrass festival and all-around good time. Both the Mountain Soul Vocal Competition and Bloomin’ BBQ & Bluegrass are organized by the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce in Sevierville, TN. For more information, go online to www.BloominBBQ.com or call 1-888-889-7415.