Folks Of The Fest Founder & Producer
Founder & Producer
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The Nashville Songwriters Festival was founded by Cornelius "Popcorn" Robertson in February of 2002 with the notion to promote the pursuit of creating original music and downplay performance aspects as secondary or even insignificant to the cause. The first Songwriters Festival was held at Loretta Lynn's Ranch about 6 miles from where his home is. Since then the event has been held in Nashville.
Popcorn does not schedule himself to play at the festival, instead preferring to let everybody else get face time. "I might do a Sing Ring but it's more about you guys, not me." he says. |
Popcorn moved to Tennessee 3 times to be close to the music. In '84 and '87 he attempted to get established in Nashville but never lasted for more than a few months before tucking his tail between his legs and returning back home to Louisiana. Finally, after another move here in 1990 he stuck and has been pursuing a musical calling ever since.
Popcorn has a few minor cuts, TV credits and other small musical accomplishments along with multiple nominations for the Southern Heritage Music Awards. "There could be more and probably is if I took the time to reflect and write it all down", Popcorn says."But that's not as important to me as at one time it might have been. I just like being in the flow knowing I could do this or that successfully. If you are doing music for the rest of your life, what's the hurry? Measure my life after I'm gone."
So Who is Popcorn?
Popcorn would organize bike races, neighborhood baseball games and so on,raising money for the prizes from koolaide stands, where he would also make and of course serve "Popcorn". After high school and a stint in the army Popcorn was drawn back into the promotional aspects of music. "I liked playing music and writing but nothing got me going more as the challenge of creating and hosting "Shows." Managing bands here and there and helping clubs with booking.
The Festival Progression
After the first ever 2003 SongWriters Festival at Loretta Lynn's Ranch , Popcorn was in the hole about $3500 to the facility. Ranch staff gave Popcorn a week to come up with the cash. To make a long story short, somebody that is in this picture ponied up the dough to keep harmony at the Ranch.
Paying To Play?
Well I say, "Yes, you do." You pay for your instrument, web site, computer, music software, gear, recording demos, CD duplication, printing, PR materials, travel to and from music locations, what you consume on the road, wardrobe and the list goes on... So if you think you're not paying to play, well then, you're wrong. Writers spend a lot of money pursuing their craft. A major artist pays to play. To stay on top or remain current, a hit artist must spend or reinvest millions of dollars every year staying current or they fall by the wayside. So in one form or another whether you want to admit it or not, we all pay to play some how, somewhere. Those who hide behind the notion that, "I don't pay to play", should start giving their CD's away for free, don't charge a cover at gigs and make everything free to everyone. Why should somebody pay you since you won't pay to play?
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Cornelius "Popcorn" Robertson has always had a deep interest in event planning. As a young'n he used to organize the other neighborhood kids and do shows from the garage using the roll up door as a curtain.
The first ever songwriters festival was held out in Humphrey's County where Popcorn calls home. Recording and helping Bill Hamilton at Coal Miners Daughter newly opened studio. I was sitting at my desk when something washed over me. Something said, "Have a songwriters festival." That's all it took. I still draw from the energy of that calling. You can never ask me why I do this except that I do. People don't seem to understand when you have no particular motives or agenda except that it's something you have to do.
Some say, "I don't pay to play."