Effron White - HALL OF FAME Artist NW Arkansas Music Awards (NAMA)
Effron White was born in West Memphis, Arkansas, in 1954. He was first exposed to the music of Bob Dylan in the early sixties, when the strange new sounds of that young folk singer came eminating out the walls of his older brother's bedroom. A few years later, he took over the guitar his brother had gotten for Christmas, staking claim to it.
In college, at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, he majored in art while writing songs and performing with his college musical partner, Elmo Sapwater, as the duo Sapwater and White.
After earning a master's degree in art, in 1985, he began concentrating more seriously on singing and songwriting. By 1990 he was performing regularly in venues all around northwest Arkansas.
When you hear Effron White, you are immediately struck by the uniqueness of his songs and their delivery. His gravelly vocal is reminiscent at times of Tom Waits, John Prine, or Bob Dylan; yet, there's a personal earthiness that drives the emotional truth of his songs right into your heart.
As a songwriter, Effron draws his influences from those legends of the past who are looked upon as poets as much as songwriters, such as, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, John Prine, and Guy Clark. His skills as a singer/songwriter have resulted in nationwide recognition. In 2004, Effron won the coveted "New Folk" Award at the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival. He has also been honored as the Northwest Arkansas Music Award's "Best Folk Artist", and his song, "Yankee Dime" was voted "Best Original Song" at the 2002 Ozark Music Awards. His songs have placed in many other competitions, including, the "Chris Austin Songwriting Contest" at Merlefest, Wilkesboro, NC; the Enormous Records contest, Nashville, TN; the Woody Guthrie Songwriting Competition, Okemah, OK; the Walnut Valley "NewSongs" Showcase, Winfield, KS; and the Unisong International Songwriting Contest.
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COMPLETE LIST OF AWARDS:
2007- NORTHWEST ARKANSAS MUSIC AWARDS "Best Singer-Songwriter"
2006- NORTHWEST ARKANSAS MUSIC AWARDS "Best Singer-Songwriter"
2004- KERRVILLE FOLK FESTIVAL "New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters", Winner
2003- OZARK FOLK FESTIVAL Folk Song Contest, 3rd Place
2003- OKLAHOMA SONGWRITERS AND COMPOSERS ASSOC. (OSCA) One Plus One Song Contest, 1st Place
2002- OZARK MUSIC AWARDS "Best Original Song" ('Yankee Dime")
2002- NORTHWEST ARKANSAS MUSIC AWARDS "Best Folk Artist"
2001- GREAT AMERICAN SONGWRITING CONTEST "Honor Award"
2001- UNISONG INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING CONTEST Finalist
2001- OKLAHOMA SONGWRITERS AND COMPOSERS ASSOC. (OSCA) One Plus One Song Contest, 2nd Place & Honorable Mention
2001- COOCH MUSIC SONG CONTEST Honorable Mention and One-Year Single Song Contract
2000- OKLAHOMA SONGWRITERS AND COMPOSERS ASSOC. (OSCA) One Plus One Song Contest, 1st Place
2000- WOODY GUTHRIE SONGWRITING COMPETITION, 3rd Place
2000- ENORMOUS RECORDS Song Contest, Grand Prize Winner
1999- CHRIS AUSTIN SONGWRITING CONTEST (MERLEFEST), 2nd Place (Country)
1999- WALNUT VALLEY FESTIVAL (WINFIELD, KS), "NewSongs Showcase" Selectee
"...but, the best award is when someone tells you you've touched their heart with a song." -Effron
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"Best version of that song I have ever heard."--Guy Clark, on hearing Effron perform "L.A. Freeway"
"I am a fan of his music and delivery."--Crow Johnson, singer/songwriter
"He's very sincere, a great storyteller."--Fred Bogert, record producer
"Effron White has what it takes as a songwriter. Every song tells a story and his voice is full of the character needed to deliver it." --Paul Pearcy (Terri hendrix Band)