Colgate Showdown winners prepare for finals July 17 at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park

Last year’s Florida winner, Johnny Bulford of Orlando, went on to win the regional and the national competition, taking home a check for $100,000! Although Johnny won’t be performing at the Live Oak North Florida finals due to scheduling, he will perform July 11 at the SOSMP’s Music Hall.

SPIRIT OF THE SUWANNEE MUSIC PARK, LIVE OAK, FLA - Six new winners have been chose to compete in the North Florida finals for the Colgate Country Showdown July 17. The winners were chosen Friday night, June 26, during the third and final competition at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park. These winners will join 10 previous winners July 17 at the SOSMP to see who will represent North Florida in the Florida Colgate Country Showdown in Pensacola.

Each contestant is vying for a chance to win $100,000 and be named the Best New Act in Country Music in January of 2010.

Winning the final round were Emily Brooke of Wellington, Becky Britt of Live Oak, Michelle Underwood of Live Oak, Whitney Law of Ft. White, Ariel Ratliff of Jasper and Gabrielle Buchanan of Live Oak.

The winner of the North Florida title will compete Oct. 25 at the Pensacola Interstate Fair for the Florida title and the opportunity to move on to a regional event. Winners of the regionals across the country will compete for the national title on the stage of the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville in January 2010.

Last year’s Florida winner, Johnny Bulford of Orlando, went on to win the regional and the national competition, taking home a check for $100,000! Although Johnny won’t be performing at the Live Oak North Florida finals due to scheduling, he will perform July 11 at the SOSMP’s Music Hall. Be sure to plan now to be there to see this fantastic country performer who is a songwriter, guitarist and has his own band. It will be a rare opportunity to hear Johnny Bulford at the SOSMP as this young man is headed to the big time in Nashville and will soon be booked around the country!

The North Florida 2009 Colgate Country Showdown is sponsored by the SOSMP and WQHL 98.1 radio of Live Oak. WQHL radio personality Kevin Thomas is the emcee for local Colgate events. To learn more about the Colgate Country Showdown or the SOSMP, go to www.musicliveshere.com.

The North Florida Final Showdown July 17 will be held in the SOSMP Music Hall. Doors open at 6 p.m., event begins at 7 p.m. As always, the SOS Café and Restaurant will have delicious food and beverages available from its menu at regular prices.

For overnight or weekend accommodations at the SOSMP, call 386-364-1683. Reserve overnight accommodations early for this event. Beautiful cabins, as well as primitive camping and RV sites with water and sewer hookups, are available. Among the amenities are horseback riding, golf cart rental, bicycle riding, hiking, jogging and much, much more.

Come join Mike Mullis and his band WhooWhee June 27 in A Night of Lynyrd Skynyrd music at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park

SPIRIT OF THE SUWANNEE MUSIC PARK, LIVE OAK, FLA - It will be a rousing good time this Saturday night, June 27, at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak when Mike Mullis and his band WhooWhee brings to their fans A Night of Lynyrd Skynyrd music.

Mike, a Gainesville area musician and songwriter who has made other appearances at the SOSMP to the delight of his fans, will have his band in top shape for this special performance of Lynyrd Skynyrd music that will have the rafters rocking and dance floor shaking before the night is over!

Mike is a drummer, vocalist, songwriter who on his last trip to the SOSMP brought the house down with his rendition of Wipeout. Just a few of the artists Mike has opened for include .38 Special, Charlie Daniels, Montgomery Gentry, Sawyer Brown, John Conlee, Billy Dean, Suzy Bogguss, Tommy Cash, Johnny Cash’s brother (6 White Horses), David Houston (Almost Persuaded), Johnny Russell (Rednecks, White Socks & Blue Ribbon Beer), Nat Stuckey (Pop-A-Top Again), Charlie Louvin and Melba Montgomery, Sonny James Band, Razzy Bailey (Midnight Hauler), Del Reeves, Becky Hobbs, Justin Tubb (Earnest Tubb’s son) and Michael Twitty (Conway Twitty’s son). Mike has played drums on a studio CD project for Miss Florida Kylie Williams and co-wrote words and music for the song "GatorChomp," a rollicking song about the UF football program. GatorChomp was a licensed collegiate product sold throughout Florida and at the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Gift Shop.

Doors open to the Music Hall at 6 p.m., show begins at 7 p.m. Admission for this fabulous Mike Mullis event is $15 at the door. As always, the SOS Café and Restaurant will have available at regular prices wonderful selections from the menu along with your favorite beverages. Dancing is encouraged!

On Friday night, June 26, there will be final competition for the North Florida Colgate Country Showdown in the Music Hall where winners have the opportunity to try for area, state and regional titles leading to the national finals where if they win, they will be awarded $100,000 in cash and named the Best New Country Act in America in January 2010! Don’t miss this exciting event beginning at 7 p.m. Friday night.

If you would like to make reservations for the weekend at the SOSMP or find out more about this weekend’s events or other upcoming events, give the SOSMP a call at 386-364-1683 or go to the website at www.musicliveshere.com. We’ll be looking for ya’ll!

America’s Comedian Tommy Blaze to entertain at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park June 1

SPIRIT OF THE SUWANNEE MUSIC PARK, LIVE OAK, FLA - This Saturday night, June 13, the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park is proud to bring to you one of America’s top comedians, author and internet comic strip designer Tommy Blaze.

Blaze has been called America’s premiere relationship comic and a funny Dr. Phil. He’s performed on military bases, in casinos, cruise chips, churches, TV, film, comedy clubs and colleges to audiences who just couldn’t stop laughing.

Blaze discovered the source of wisdom and comic inspiration for his new CD, Twice

Bitten, in a most unlikely place; The Holy Bible. Says Blaze, “The Bible is the best self help book ever written and comes with a triple your money back guarantee, but only if

you read it.” Twice Bitten is neither sacrilegious nor sanctimonious, but rather an honest

and hysterical depiction of why marriages and couples are in a present state of disarray.

Blaze is working on several other projects in addition to his stand-up comedy. One Question For God is his new book that poses a simple scenario; if you could ask God one question, what would you ask? To date, Blaze has collected thousands of questions from across the globe.

Additionally, he writes the internet based comic strip Knocking on Heaven’s Door, which

follows the misadventures of a six-year-old boy and his very special best friend.

Music Hall doors open at 6 p.m., show begins at 7 p.m. Admission is $15 per person for the Tommy Blaze performance.

As always, the SOS Café and Restaurant will have available delicious meals and beverages at regular prices during all shows in the Music Hall.

Plan to spend the weekend at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park this weekend and enjoy Tommy Blaze on Saturday night and also the first of three Colgate Country Showdown North Florida contests Friday night, June 12. The Colgate Showdown will have two more contests June 19 and 26 to pick winners who will vie for the North Florida Colgate Showdown title July 17 in the Music Hall.

For more information about both events and the SOSMP, go to musicliveshere.com or give the SOSMP a call at 386-364-1683. We’ll be looking for ya’ll!