You may remember reading about Angela Walker in the Journal earlier this year when she attended the 61st Annual Grammy Awards held in Los Angeles. A hometown girl from Williamston, she works in Hilton’s International Corporate headquarters in McLean, Va, a suburb of Washington, DC. Walker submitted an original tune written by her fiancé (and world famous bass player) KC Clifton, called “I Choose You”, for the Hilton hotel chain’s “Rock Star Contest”, and was chosen from thousands of participants who submitted entries.
Walker and Clifton will bring their musical talents to the Spring Water Festival when they headline entertainment on Friday, August 23.
A keyboardist as well as writer/arranger and vocalist, Walker is classically trained with deep roots in gospel and musical theater. She is a graduate of Palmetto High School, Howard University and University of Michigan.
Walker began taking piano lessons at age of five and started playing for Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church at age 10. In junior high she started playing trombone because she wanted to be a part of the marching band at Palmetto High School and likes to joke that “you can’t push a piano down a football field!”
She continued to direct choirs from high school through the college level. In May 2018, she retired after fifteen years as Worship Arts Director (music, theater and dance) at Unity of Gaithersburg (MD).
Walker has performed in shows and festivals all around the world as a vocalist and keyboardist with world renowned artists including Maceo Parker, the Softones and Prince. She serves as musical director for HALO, The Intruders, The Force MD’s, Blue Magic, and Jazz from Dru Hill. They also perform with other bands including One Flight Up and FrameWerk, as well as musical theater projects in the greater DC area.
Walker and Clifton will perform at the Spring Water Festival with their band PowerGlide, horns which features Clifton on vocals and bass, Walker on vocals and keyboards and the SLS horns, Matt Williams on vocals and trumpet, Charlie “Shoe” Shoemaker on saxophone and Ben Denne on trombone.
Powerglide will perform a variety of music, including R&B, jazz, blues, soul, funk and rock, which they say “excites the soul”. Their playlist includes Maze, Chicago, Kool and the Gang, Bruno Mars, PFunk, Steely Dan, the Doobie Brothers, Aretha Franklin, ColdPlay, Candy Dulfer and Cameo, and more.
The Blue Sky Blues band will kick off entertainment at 6 p.m. and will be followed by Powerglide with the SLS Horns at 8 p.m.
The Blue Sky Blues Band is a local blues/rock band from the Upstate featuring Ian Alerre on drums, Steve Myers on bass, and Adam Lindsley on guitar and vocals. They will perform a variety of classic blues and rock songs with a few originals mixed in.
The festival will kick off on Friday evening with live music, festival food and many of the craft vendors will be offering items.
SWF brings exceptional talent to Williamston
On Saturday, Angela Easterling and the Beguilers will start entertainment at 10 a.m. followed by The Royal Scotsmen Band at 12 noon, Easton Gowan at 1:45 and the Carolina Coast Band at 3 p.m.
Angela Easterling is a songwriter and singer with rootsy, refreshing, homespun tunes. Her backing band, The Beguilers play with complex styles and instrumentation that highlights the stories in Angela’s songs, and adds some rocking fun. Their act is not quite country, not quite folk, but altogether unique and engaging.
Easton Gowan is a 17-year-old singer/songwriter/guitarist from Williamston who has been playing a musical instrument since he was 6 years old. He was a featured singer in the Classic Country concert by the Mill Town Players recently.
The Carolina Coast Band originated in the Upstate of SC in 2013 and began building its nucleus in the Carolina Beach Music market by assembling a staff of regionally and nationally acclaimed musicians that, as individuals, have achieved many awards in the industry. They are the 2018 recipient of “The Rising Star” Award received at the CBMA Awards Ceremonies at Alabama Theater in North Myrtle Beach in November.
Joey Werner, the band’s manager plays keyboards and is a lead vocalist having performed with many artists, including early stints as a drummer with the original members of the “Swingin’ Medallions” as well as many others throughout the years. Frank Wilkie is bass guitarist and toured internationally with The Marshall Tucker Band, Rickey Godfrey Band, and Garfeel Ruff Band, where they landed in a movie. Kym McKinnon is lead guitarist and lead vocalist and toured nationally for 15 years with Nappy Brown, famous blues artist. Tez Sherard is on drums and lead vocals and tours frequently with National Artist, Edwin McCain, and has worked with other artists such as Darius Rucker, and The Tams. Alan Nowell, on saxes, woodwinds, and vocals. has toured with several bands including The Out-of-Towners. Rhonda McDaniel, Ten year CBMA Female Vocalist of the Year, and recording artist with several #1 Hits, joined the band in 2016 and has added her talents of both vocals and keyboards to give the band a great show of shag and beach music. Rickey Godfrey of Nashville, TN, joined the band in 2018 on guitar, keyboards, and lead vocals. Rickey is the recipient of many CBMA awards in the early 2000’s, including song of the year, and male vocalist of the year. He took the Blues Artist award for the City of Nashville last year.
The Gospel Stage will feature Craig Ledford, The Other Side, Jerry & Pam Maples, The Chordsmen, Living Truth, Gary Hart and Hartstrings, David Earl Lawson, Leeve Lopez, Eternal Vision, The Bradys and Catlin Tierce.
A display of unique and original pottery will be on exhibit in the Williamston Municipal Center Exhibit Hall during the Spring Water Festival. The pottery production is a joint venture between Anderson master potter Ross Bryant and local artist/ art teacher Thomas Addison, and features a pottery glaze that is unique to the local area. The glaze on the pottery pieces is a homemade mixture which is created from the “chalybeate” or mineral spring water collected from the mineral spring in the park. The color on the pottery is derived from the high concentration of iron carbonate, which has been a well-known feature of the spring since its discovery in the late 1830’s by West Allen Williams.
There will be a Little Miss and Master Spring Water Festival Pageant held Aug 24th in the Municipal Center Auditorium. This is a fundraiser pageant for The Mill Town Players and Spring Water Festival projects. Deadline for entry is Monday, August 19.
The pageant is for girls ages are 0-18 boys age 0-7. Entry fee is $35. No pageant dresses needed. Only a summer dress or summer outfit. Every participant receives a crown. For info sheet and application please email wking5670@charter.net or call 2300157.
Bob Seymore of Atlanta will bring the fantastic world of STATUARY back to Williamston depicting the town’s founder West Allen Williams.
The 2019 Spring Water Festival T-Shirt is white with blue logo and features the Envision Williamston mural design by Thomas Addison. Addison’s mural design of “Unbroken Chain of Mineral Spring Water”, was brought to life by Palmetto High Art students Kerrigan Campbell and Rebecca Stephen, under the direction of Art teacher Gregg Davis, for Envision Williamston. The mural was the fifth placed in Williamston over the last year and can be seen on the side of the building located across from Calvary Church and near the new Anderson Drive “Gateway Welcome Sign”.
Twelve food vendors will offer a variety of festival food and snacks. They are Holly’s Concessions, Mamacita, Danny Dogs, Mile High Sweet, Mile High Concessions, Road Runner, Wainani Shaved Ice, Mama’s Sweet Shoppe, Grandma’s Homemade Ice Cream, Hey Bo Sassy Sow BBQ, Hudson Peanut Company and Southern Smoke BBQ.
The annual festival returns with over 100 vendors featuring arts and crafts, exhibits and business displays, festival food, children’s activities and rides, 5K Spring Water Run, antique car show, and live entertainment.
More than forty vendors will be offering handmade, personalized and unique items for sale in the craft area at this year’s Spring Water Festival.There will also be a 5KSpring Water Run and car show sponsored by the Williamston Fire Department and Clinkscales Chevrolet.
Guthrie Grove Church will have a puppet show, games and other activities for children. Buttons the Clown will entertain with balloon art.
Hours for the festival this year will be 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
More information at www.springwaterfestival .com
