July 6, 2024
By: Dwayne Page
A Franklin girl won the top Jamboree award Saturday as the best fiddler in the National Championship for Country Musician Beginners.
Ella Derby won the coveted James G. “Bobo” Driver Memorial Award, named for the man who started the children’s competition during the 1980’s as part of the annual Fiddler’s Jamboree and Crafts Festival. Members of Mr. Driver’s family sponsored and presented the award to Derby.
Meanwhile Callie Doerfel of Murfreesboro was winner of the Nolan Turner Memorial Entertainer of the Year award. The honor, sponsored by the Turner family, is presented to the best overall instrumental entertainer among winners in the dobro guitar, mandolin, five string banjo, and flat top guitar competition. Turner, who died in October 2017, was a long time Fiddlers’ Jamboree supporter and photographer. Doerfel earned first place in the five-string banjo competition and she took second place in both flat top guitar and dobro guitar. Doerfel was also a second-place winner in the beginner buck dancing and clogging contests.
The National Championship for Country Musician Beginners showcases the talents of children up to age twelve in seven categories of competition.
This year’s winners are as follows:
Beginner Fiddle sponsored by the Driver family: First Place-Ella Derby of Franklin; Second Place- Kadence Edgington of Nashville; and Third Place- Jeremiah Bates of Hartsville
Beginner Buck Dancing sponsored by Security Finance: First Place- Noah Fennell of Dickson, Second Place- Callie Doerfel of Murfreesboro, and Third Place- Lacy Franklin of McEwen
Beginner Clogging sponsored by Attorney Matt Boss: First Place- M.J. Spurlock of Lebanon; Second Place-Callie Doerfel of Murfreesboro, and Third Place- Colette Rainwater of Murfreesboro.
Beginner Dobro Guitar sponsored by Cheryl’s Beau Bees: First Place- Kade Stewart of Anderson, Alabama and Second Place- Callie Doerfel of Murfreesboro
Beginner Mandolin sponsored by Luton’s Media: First Place-Stephen Stewart of Monterey, Second Place- Silas Pegg of Gallatin, and Third Place- Kade Stewart of Anderson, Alabama
Beginner Five String Banjo sponsored by Risher Roofing: First Place- Callie Doerfel of Murfreesboro; Second Place- Immanuel Roberts of Fort Payne , Alabama, and Third Place- Kade Stewart of Anderson, Alabama
Beginner Flat Top Guitar sponsored by The Vintage Owl: First Place- Immanuel Roberts of Fort Payne, Alabama; Second Place- Callie Doerfel of Murfreesboro, and Third Place- Regan Ray of Bloomington.
For more about the Fiddlers’ Jamboree including the weekend events from the festival click the links below