Derek Dove.

MOULTRIE, Ga. — Colquitt County has a rich musical heritage and bragging rights as the home of several songwriters and musicians whose names and works are recognized by many. Among them are Boudleaux Bryant and his wife Felice, who were one of the top song writing teams of all times with hits like “Rocky Top”, “Bye Bye Love” and “All I Have to do is Dream.”

The Colquitt County Arts Center is excited to introduce three local songwriters in the first performance of the Colquitt County Songwriter’s Series. Local musicians and songwriters including Al Clayton, Derek Dove and Daniel Parrish will take the stage of the Wright Auditorium at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13. Doors will open at 6:30 for a meet and greet cash bar. Tickets are $10 and are available at the Arts Center. Tickets will also be available at the door until the auditorium reaches capacity.

Al Clayton

Born in 1950, Al Clayton came into this world, according to his mother, “singing loudly.” He attended First Baptist Church, where he learned to sing in the Youth Choir, and then learned to play guitar and drums at 12 years old.

He became a solo acoustic artist after moving to Oklahoma in 1970. After graduating from college, he then moved to Atlanta in 1973 and appeared in local bars on weekends.

After a successful career in business, he retired in 2008 and has since pursued composing original music. His first project was “Today’s Beginning Tomorrow’s Past” and his latest project is “Guitars, Guns, and Girls,” produced by Gary DiBenedetto from Moultrie. Songs from his latest CD have been featured and distributed worldwide on internet Radio sites.

To date he has written about 35 original songs. He has appeared throughout the Southeast, however his most memorable gig was in Nairn, Scotland.

Derek Dove

Derrick Dove was brought up in a very musical household in South Georgia. He started playing in his dad’s band at 12 and put together his first band when he was 15 years old.

Touring the country since he turned 21, he has shared the stage with Blackberry Smoke, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Tracy Byrd, John Berry and T. Graham Brown, to name a few. His blues/rock band, Derrick Dove & the Peacekeepers, is getting ready to release their debut album.

He also fronts a successful party band, Big Brother’s Boombox and is the newest member of the Kinchafoonee Cowboys.

When he’s not on the road, he is a stay-at-home dad and resides in Norman Park.

Daniel Parrish

Daniel Parrish is a songwriter/singer from South Georgia who creates simple rhymes about simple times. 

He was born and raised on the red clay roads of South Georgia. Growing up on the farm gave him the foundation that most of his songs are inspired from. After leaving the farm, he headed off to college in Valdosta, where he met several of his best friends and found his new love, music.

He learned how to play guitar, mix sound production for bands, and the rest as they say is history.