Hwy. 98 Songwriters Jubilee at Lillian’s The Front Porch

Hwy. 98 Songwriters Jubilee at Lillian’s The Front PorchBy Fran Thompson
Owner Johnny Barbato said he was going to eventually host a songwriters festival when he opened up Johnny B’s The Front Porch in Lillian back in 2021. And the Hwy. 98 Songwriters Jubilee has now come to be.
The fest starts with open mic night on Sept. 28 and will include late night guitar pulls all weekend, but the heart of the event is the one hour/three songwriter sets slated Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Hwy. 98 bistro.
The Front Porch is also part of the Nov. 9-19 FBISF, but Barbato said his fest is more about fraternity than musicianship.
“I’m trying to re-create the atmosphere when Frank Brown was not so spread out. You were able to see your friends play and it wasn’t a Nashville thing,’’ Barbato said. “I can’t afford the hit writers anyway. But the reunions during that period were just amazing.
Barbato, who fronts The Lucy Doggs Band, was strumming his guitar and singing Waylon, Willie and Jerry Jeff songs and hanging out with Port City blues players David Moody, Lou Wamble, JW Slyde and Wick Larson since the early 1970’s
“The old L.A. Songwriters Fest in Fairhope also had that vibe of being together in one place,’’ he said. “I’m trying to create that old feeling, even if it is with new people. I think we are in a position to capture some of that.’’
Pictured: (l to r) Lee Yankie, Donna Slater, Cathy Pace, T-bone Montgomery, Kim Carson, Lisa Christian.

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Fri. – Sept. 29
4:00 John Joiner, Randy Cobb, Alan Hartzell
5:00 Jenna McClelland, Brittany Grimes, Lisa Zanghi
6:00 Bo Roberts, T-Bone Montgomery, Mark Sherrill
7:00 Kim Carson, Johnny Barbato, Jason Justice
8:00 Rick Whaley, Nick Branch, Ryan Balthrop
9:00 J. Hawkins, Jed Clampit, Ricky Whitley
10:00 Kevin Swanson, Justin Touchette, Jon Puzan
11:00 Austin Forman, John Fowler, Troy Brannon
12:00 Tony Brook, Troy Martin, Donna Slater
Sat. – Sept. 30
2:00 Rusty Budde, Damian Lamb, Stephen Lee Veal
3:00 Delta Donnie, Cathy Pace, Donna Slater
4:00 Dew Pendleton, Jed Clampit, Troy Brannon
5:00 Christina Crystal, Troy Martin, Nick Biebricher
6:00 Lauren Manning, Josh Newton, Elaine Petty
7:00 Rock Killough, John Joiner, Darrel Roberts
8:00 Tony Brook, J, Hawkins, Ricky Whitley
9:00 Lisa Christian, Jenna McClelland, Lee Yankie
10:00 Kim Carson, Justin Jeansonne, Shawn Lackey
11:00 Wes Loper. Matt Williams, Johnny Barbato
12:00 Shawn Williams, Jon Puzan, Justin Fobes
Sun, – Oct 1
12:00 Vet Church w. Matt Williams, Justin Touchette,
Kevin Swanson
1:00 Brooke Brown, Buddy Barnes, Stephen Lee Veal
2:00 Lauren Kay Manning, Jed Clampit, Kim Carson
3:00 Christina Crystal, Destiny Brown, Nick
Biebricher
4:00 Tommy Mazzullo, Bo Roberts, Mark Sherrill
5:00 Tony Brook, Yves Mary B, Johnny Barbato
6:00 Ryan Balthrop, Wes Loper, Lee Yankie
7:00 Josh Newcom, Kelly McKee, Donna Slater
8:00 Sugarcane Jane