Third time's a charm; Casar native wins singer-songwriter competition, again
Joshua Ray Hudson has built something of a songwriting dynasty. Not only did he win the 2023 Don Gibson Singer/Songwriter Award, the Cleveland County native also took home the top prize in 2020 and 2021. The year in between, 2022, Hudson finished in second place. After so much success, what keeps Hudson coming back for more?
“Just being around like-minded people who also write songs,” he said. “Then to be able to put my songs up against other writers who bring good material every year, and it’s a great way to be able to get some recognition for your original song. As a performer, if I put on a good show, that’s great, but to have people come just to hear something you have written, that means a lot.”
Hudson admits that this year’s competition was a tough one, but when the dust settled, his original work, “Old Too Quick, Wise Too Late,” came out on top, earning Hudson a $1,000 grand prize. Contestants were judged on composition, vocal quality, showmanship, creativity and audience response.
“Normally, there are just 12 finalists, but this year there was so much great talent that they let 14 go through,” Hudson said.
According to an article in Bluegrass Today, judges Darin and Brooke Aldridge were also impressed with the talent of this year’s finalists.
“It’s always hard judging a competition where there’s so much incredible talent. We were honored to be asked to judge again this year, and thrilled for Josh Hudson to take home the win. His song was well written and had deep meaning that made you want to hear it over and over again.”
As with a lot of songs, “Old Too Quick, Wise Too Late” was born out of Hudson’s personal experiences.
“My wife and I have had a couple of close deaths in the family,” he said. “The kids have grown up, so it was those types of things that spurred the song. The lyrics of the song are self-explanatory, but it makes the bigger point. You can tell a 20-year-old that you get old too quick and wise too late, and they won’t believe it. You come to realize that when you get older and have experiences. I think it’s a really poignant song for all ages.”
While Hudson says he lives “The Country Life” on his Sandy Ridge farm in Stokes County, his music does not always fit in the country genre.
“I just like being outside listening to the wind blow through the trees. That’s where my inspiration comes from generally. It just clears my mind. My latest song is probably country Christian in its tone and message. But when I write a song, the melody and the words kind of piggyback together. That’s the most important thing. Whenever I’m done, whatever genre it falls in, it falls in. I don’t sit down to write a country song.”
Hudson started writing songs and playing small shows as a teenager after developing a love of music at a young age growing up in Casar.
“When I was little, who knows how many people would come to my grandmother’s house to sing and play,” Hudson recalls. “I would sit back and soak it in, and everything else would just fade away. Now that has become quite a lucrative business over the last few years. I’ve been booked all over North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. I’ve been blessed.”
Hudson says he has been offered a chance to travel and play with some big-name bands and performers in the industry, and even though he is thankful for the offers, Hudson turned them down.
“Everything has just snowballed so quickly,” he said. “But I ultimately decided that if I was going to push and play somebody’s music, it might as well be mine. It’s just so personal to me, and nobody else is going to do it like I would.”
As for the future, Hudson wants to keep growing as an artist and writing music.
“As long as people sing songs, they are going to need somebody to write them,” Hudson said with a laugh. “I also want to do another project (album) of original songs this year. My last one, “This Is Why We Stand,” has done really well. Winning the Don Gibson Songwriter of the Year Award has really given me a lot of publicity, and I know there are songs of mine that people would love to sing along to if the right artist picks them up.”
The Don Gibson Singer Songwriter Symposium encourages the development of singer-songwriters and honors the Shelby native who was a member of the Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame, the Grand Ole Opry, and the Country Music Hall of Fame.
This article originally appeared on The Shelby Star: Third time's a charm; Casar native wins singer-songwriter competition
