On Saturday June 27, 2026 DSA gathered on Zoom for the Best Songs
of the Meeting 2025 Awards Program. Barbara McMillen hosted the show along
with presenters Michael Brandenberger, Bobby Montgomery, and Alexis
Tapp. Thanks to our Director, Allen Larson, our tech directors Bill
Martin and Keith Dodson..
Thanks
to our performers Steve Ledford, Wayne Willingham, Michael
RJ Roth, Troy Inslee, Alexis Tapp,
Kendall Yancey, Allen Larson and Wayne Gathright the show was full of 12 wonderful
songs between the awards given.
Thanks to our Judges.
Our first round judges were DSA Directors Thomas Driver and Tommy Gillis.
Thomas Driver has been the bassist for the Dallas Songwriters Association Hall of Fame Rising Stars Band since 2025. He’s performed in many original music bands starting out in East Texas. Thomas is board member and Vice President of Kids Who Rock and is a strong supporter since the beginning . By day his trade is in construction where he is the best general contractor in DFW.
Tommy Gillis has been the drummer for the Dallas Songwriters Association Hall of Fame Rising Stars Band since 2025. He is a Grammy Award–winning audio engineer specializing in both live sound and studio production, as well as a skilled guitar tech, luthier, musician, and audio repair specialist. He joined Kids Who Rock in 2020 and serves as a camp mentor and board member. Each year, Tom dedicates two weeks to recording live performances at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, contributing to the preservation and promotion of its vibrant musical culture.
Our final judge was our international Song Contest Winner, James Tristan Redding who is a British-American songwriter, author, narrator, and multi-instrumentalist. James has written over a thousand songs, released 12 studio albums, served as a session musician on drums, bass, guitar, and keys for groups in the USA and Europe, and had his songs recorded by Sarah Harralson, Dan Whitehouse, Eli Alger, David Easterling, and Emma Gale, among others.
Redding has written with or shared the stage with Rodney Crowell, Chris Gantry, Victor DeLorenzo of Violent Femmes, Jim Lauderdale, Jelly Roll, John Lomax III, James Hall & Pleasure Club, and many others.
Thank you James, Thomas, and Tommy for your time and expertise in judging our song contest.
The Harry Hewlett DSA Member Service Award was presented to Ben Halim.
It takes a village to keep DSA running and a big part of the DSA’s presence is the brand, website, and social media. Ben came to DSA with a vision for the future. He designed a new logo and slogan, activated our social media sites of Youtube, Instagram, and Facebook, gave us a new look online with our website, designed new awards certificates, implemented our community service awards and much, much more. Ben is an Electronic Musician, Songwriter, Composer, Producer and Digital Creator. He moved to Fairview, Texas from NYC a number of years ago where is was producing electronic music. While raising a family, he worked as a web manager for PNC bank. We were so lucky that Ben found
DSA almost 10 years ago and helped us move forward as VP Technology Director since 2019.
Thank you Ben Halim.
Thanks to our sponsor JeriAlice of River Sounds Recording Resort for the prize of recording at River Sounds
Community Award was given to Ted and Sharyn Lindblad of Cocktail Creamery. Ted has been self employed in a variety of vocations from construction to high-end audio, to (still) beef jerky and Sharyn has been a professional in the retail sector, and a Sourcing Director at JC Penney. Both have been dreaming of starting a venture they might call their own. A profession where they could work together as a team. Remembering back to her teenage years working at Friendly’s Ice Cream Parlor, it was Sharyn’s idea to begin an ice cream shop. Ted (being Ted) quickly suggested that their shop be different by infusing a little booze into the ice cream… make things “doubleplus” interesting! The name Cocktail Creamery popped into his head and the concept was off and running. Approximately one year later Cocktail Creamery was up and running in beautiful historic downtown McKinney, Texas.
DSA was invited to host an open mic at the venue almost a year ago and in August 2025 began the monthly open mic event each 3rd Thursday, 7-9. Cocktail Creamery also has live music every Friday and various other nights in the week. DSA appreciates Ted and Sharyn’s dedication to hosting live music and for promoting local songwriters.
WINNER OF THE VERN DAILY SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Vern Daily Songwriter of the Year - Wayne Gathright for his songs
Song Rider by Wayne Gathright
Hit Song by Wayne Gathright
Repay by Wayne Gathright_
Wash It Away by Wayne Gathright
Floating On a Ball by Wayne Gathright
Graveyard Blues by Wayne Gathright
Wayne
Gathright written and recorded over 150 songs and garnered awards from
Austin Songwriters, becoming ‘Songwriter of the Year’ in 2019. Wayne
also won 3rd place in the Dallas Songwriting Competition, and has
several ‘Publisher Picks’ in the Texas Songwriter’s Symposiums. Wayne is
from Austin but has been an active DSA Member for the past two years.
WINNER OF THE SONGBIRD SONG OF THE YEAR AWARD
The Road Is Not That Long by Steve Ledford
He was raised on a farm in Comanche, Tx and migrated to the DFW area many years ago where he now lives in Garland. He is retired now which leaves him time for his favorite past times, reading books and writing songs. He was second runner up last year for Song of The Year, 2nd place in the Christmas Song Contest in 2025 and 3rd place winner in the Pop/Rock category of the DSA International Song Contest. 1st runner up - I Won’t Be Your Welcome Mat No More by Steve Ledford
2nd runner up - Song Rider by Wayne GathrightHM - Lessons In Blue by Steve Ledford
2025 SEMIFINALISTS
Floating On a Ball — Wayne Gathright
Graveyard Blues — Wayne Gathright
Hit Song — Wayne Gathright
I Won’t Be Your Welcome Mat No More — Steve Ledford
Lessons In Blue — Steve Ledford
Maybe We Just Happened — Steve Ledford
Repay — Wayne Gathright
Song Rider — Wayne Gathright
The Road Is Not That Long — Steve Ledford
Wash It Away — Wayne Gathright
2025
JANUARY CRITIQUES
Train of Time BY Wayne Gathright
Without You by Wayne Gathright
We Can Start the Fire Again by Steve Ledford
Don't Let Him Take Her to the Dance by Steve Ledford
Every Road to Heaven by Steve Ledford
Santi Done Landed That Sleigh by Alexis Tapp
2025
FEBRUARY
Half The Man, Twice The Faith by Troy Vanderhoof
Fairytales and Honeymoons by alexis tapp
Don't You Be Up To No Good by Steve Ledford
South Field by Steve Ledford
I Am Those Thorns by Steve Ledford
You Left the Pain by Larry Beamer
Repay by Wayne Gathright
Graveyard Blues by Wayne Gathright
MARCH
Whispers of Forever by Robert Juch
When She Tells Him Goodbye by Steve Ledford
Maybe We Just Happened By by Steve Ledford
My Clichés Just Don't Cut It Anymore by Wayne Gathright
APRIL
There Must Be A Joke In There Somewhere by Michael R. J. Roth
Song Rider by Wayne Gathright
Let's Play by Wayne Gathright
Margarita, Where Can We Take This From Here by Steve Ledford
She'll Burn You Down by Steve Ledford
MAY
Another Cowboy Song by Robert Juch
Mr.Kerry.M.Hughes@gmail.com
In Your Light by Kerry Hughes
I Won't Be Your Welcome Mat No More by Steve Ledford
Sweet Melody by Wayne Gathright
Recipe for a Happy Man by Wayne Gathright
Me And Your Memory by Steve Ledford
JUNE
Honest by Kerry Hughes
Dance? by Kerry Hughes
That Old Brazos River by Steve Ledford
The Road Is Not That Long by Steve Ledfor
New Memories by Wayne Gathright
The Game by Wayne Gathright
Texas Let 'Em Go by Bob Juch
Cash, Cards, and a Cowboy Heart by Bob Juch
JULY
MOUNTAIN by Alexis Tapp & Emmeline Miles
Dragon Ride by Steve Ledford
Hagen's Place by Steve Ledford
Paper Plane Love by Bob Juch
Thirty Cats by Bob Juch
That Was Your Last Second Chance by Bob Juch
Three Things in Life by Bob Juch
Holdin' Hands Again by Bob Juch
SEPTEMBER
Animal in Bed by Allen Larson
I'm Gonna Have a Good Day by Kerry Hughes
I Am Love by Steve Ledford
Halley's Comet by Steve Ledford
The Doomsday Clock by Charles Carter
Boot Scootin’ High Falootin’ Crazy Little Country Girl by Wayne Gathright
Hit Song by Wayne Gathright
Cool Jazz by Kendall Yancey
Step It Up, Cowboy by Robert Juch
OCTOBER
Floating On a Ball by Wayne Gathright
Wash It Away by Wayne Gathright
Goodbye My Old Friend by Robert Juch
Dawson Will Be Waiting At The River by Steve Ledford
I Have To Keep Riding by Steve Ledford
The Last Thing by Wayne Willingham
NOVEMBER
Sunset Highway by Bob Juch
Boots and Brass by Bob Juch
All I Have To Give by Wayne Gathright
It’s The Wind That Makes Me Crazy by Steve Ledford
Lessons In Blue by Steve Ledford
Sing Your Song by Wayne Gathright
Petty Troubles by Kerry Hughes
The Mighty Colorado by Kerry Hughes