Journey of a Songsmith: Gary R. Farmer’s Road to ISSA Songwriter Finalist

Music has long held a special place in the heart of Gary R. Farmer, a Flintstone, Georgia, native with an impressive music resume spanning 40-plus years at the keys of a keyboard, an organ, or a piano for many of his teenage and adult years. So it only seems right that after many decades of struggling as a country music artist, he is finally being recognized for his contributions.

Nomination at ISSA Awards

Atlanta is yet again home to the International Singer-Songwriters Association Awards, an award ceremony set up by the ISSA founder Tamanie Dove to encourage aspiring singers and songwriters from all musical genres to get together and create their best work. There are just 30 nominations across all musical genres for each award, making Farmers’ finalist spot an incredible feat.

Membership to the ISSA is free and offers a valuable platform for new and emerging music artists to promote themselves, sell merchandise, and be featured on hundreds of radio stations across the globe. To be nominated for the ISSA Awards at this prestigious event is a thing to cherish for Farmer.

Collaboration and Celebrity

Farmer’s hard work has seen him collaborate or perform with some of the finest country artists in the world: Anita Cochran, Herby Wallace, and 60s star Stonewall Jackson make up just some of the names on his mountainous list of who’s-whos of the country music scene he has had the pleasure of working with. Yet, despite the success that saw him play at the Grand Ole Opry and reach No. 1 around the world with some of country’s finest stars, individual recognition from his peers has been slow coming. Not that Farmer minds, of course, as he has always been a collaborator at heart.

Farm Boy Music Group

By the time 1985 arrived, Farmer had created a BMI music publishing company called Farm Boy Music, which dedicated its service to struggling songwriters, offering them recording facilities and a chance to be heard by a wider audience. It was Farm Boy Music Group that allowed him the opportunity to work with a wealth of names—a few of which are added below:

• Vern Gosdin
• Reg McTaggart
• Lyia Meta
• Joy Adams
• Kim Forrester (The Forrester Sisters)

There are many more to add, but of those mentioned, it was Joy Adams, a New Zealand native, who has made perhaps the most lasting impression. Their friendship has seen the pair collaborate together for the first time on Adams’ latest album, “Just One Little Thing…”, which was produced by Farmer.

Speaking on their collaborative work, Adams gushes, “Writing with Gary and recording has been an amazing experience. He creates an environment to pull your best, whether it is from the music he writes or his insight into getting the best vocal performance for a project.”

Adams, herself, has been nominated for five ISSA categories for her work alongside Farmer and is crossing her fingers for success.

About Farm Boy Music Group, Gary R. Farmer, and Joy Adams

To learn more about the ISSA Awards, please visit https://issasongwriters.com/the-issa-awards/. Ticket purchases for the ISSA event should be made immediately. Visit the ISSA website at https://issasongwriters.com.

You can find Gary R. Farmer’s musical creations on Spotify.

Joy Adams’ Spotify, including a link to her latest album.

Both artists can also be found on Apple Music and other music download sites.