WINNER UPDATE: Abbie Gardner Performed at Merlefest 2010

Abbie Gardner grew up in a home filled with music; her father, Herb Gardner, is a jazz pianist and trombonist. He is also the man responsible for helping Abbie find one of her current favorite vocalists and musical inspirations: Billie Holiday. Abbie began her musical endeavors as a classical flutist, but she found her true passion in 2004 when she started playing Dobro.

Since switching instruments, Gardner has released several independent, full-length albums. She also spends much of her time playing with an Americana group, Red Molly, which has also released albums of its own. The last six years have been filled with success for Gardner. Red Molly has spent much time at the top of the Radio & Records Americana chart, and Gardner herself was named a Grand Prize Winner in the Folk category of the 2008 John Lennon Songwriting Contest for her song, “The Mind of a Soldier.” Gardner went head-to-head in a fan vote-off against the other Folk winner of that year’s contest, David Llewellyn, but it was Gardner who ultimately won the Lennon Award for the category.

Gardner continues to thrive in the music community. This past May, she performed at the well-known Americana music festival, Merlefest, to an audience of over 70,000. Gardner has also begun her lifelong dream of attending music school, a testament to her devotion toward music.

Though attending music school is a time-consuming activity, Gardner still has plans for several performances later this year. Check the list below to see if she will be playing at a venue near you.

TOUR DATES:
09/12/10: Jalopy Theater w/ Pat Wictor (Brooklyn, NY)
10/22/10: Poughkeepsie Tennis Club w/ Craziest Dream Band (Poughkeepsie, NY)
11/28/10: Perks and Corks w/ Marc Douglas Berardo (Westerly, RI)


SOURCE: http://www.abbiegardner.com/
SOURCE: http://www.myspace.com/abbiegardner