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Collegiate Folk Festival Winners |
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After a number of paying gigs in the greater Knoxville
area where the Trio honed it’s music and act, they submitted
pictures and tapes to enter the National Collegiate Folk
Festival to be held in Jacksonville, FL in late December
of ‘63.
Fifteen folk acts out of some 150 entrants were chosen
to appear before a sellout audience of 10,000 in Jacksonville’s
new concert hall. Each of the fifteen performed two songs
and five were invited back as finalists for two more numbers.
The Trio performed "Wish
I Were A Babe," written by Jerre’s wife Barbara
Short Haskew, and "Ride
Up", a spiritual with bluegrass flavor, resulting
in a standing ovation and first place prize money. A bonus
award was a $600 scholarship in their names to be presented
to their own University of Tennessee. Finishing fifth
were The Hillmen, a California trio, consisting of future
folk/rock music legend Chris Hillman (The Byrds, Flying
Burrito Brothers) and later-to-be country superstar Vern
Gosdin and his brother Rex. This win was a huge confidence
boost for the boys from Tennessee.
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Promotional
photo taken at
the Pump Room, Knoxville, TN,
Fall 1963
L-R: Jerre
Haskew, Tom
Kilpatrick,
Andy Garverick and Jim
Shuptrine
[Click
on Photo for Enlargement] ]
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Promotional
photo taken at
the Pump Room, Knoxville, TN
Spring 1964
L-R: Andy
Garverick, Tom
Kilpatrick, Jim
Shuptrine, and Jerre
Haskew
[Click
on Photo for Enlargement]
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This
exposure led to several high visibility performances, such
as a concert in tandem with the Knoxville Symphony and Choral
Society, for which special symphonic arrangements backing
up the Trio’s music were written. At a February, 1964 Knoxville
concert by famed folk diva Joan Baez, the Trio performed a
45 minute opening set before a packed house. Having become
experienced performers before large audiences, the Trio’s
big break came in late January 1964. |
Presenting
scholarship check to UT VP Ed Boling
for winning first place in the National Collegiate Folk
Festival in Jacksonville, FL, January 1963
L-R: Jerre, Tom, Future UT President Edward J. Boling, Andy
and Jim
[Click on Photo for Enlargement]
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