©Balmy Palms
If you’ve been a frequent reader, you’ll surely remember the singing/songwriting contest I told you about a while back. The tropical lifestyle brand, Balmy Palms, was looking for a theme song to represent their brand. They sent out a search for the perfect song to convey their philosophy of a laid-back lifestyle. “No Worries, No Qualms … Just Balmy Palms.”
Well, the search was narrowed down to three finalists, all of whom were quite good. But, as we all know, there can be only one top contender. The winning singer/songwriter is …
Don Middlebrook!
Don Middlebrook’s song is entitled “Balmy Palms” and will now represent the brand on its website, on radio and in other media outlets. In addition to compensation, Middlebrook will receive Balmy Palms apparel and his song will receive airplay on BeachFront Radio, the internet’s number one trop rock radio station. Check them out at BeachFrontRadio.com.
“Don’s song represents the carefree, laid-back tropical island feeling conveyed by our brand. It makes great use of our tagline and puts listeners in a Balmy Palms state of mind,” says Kara Benson, Balmy Palms Marketing Director. “Once you’ve heard it, it really sticks with you and leaves you feeling good.”
Many consider Middlebrook to be one of the founding fathers of trop rock music. For more than 25 years, he has performed more than 150 tour dates per year across the United States. He has more than 15 albums, along with a four year tour with Greg “Fingers” Taylor, Jimmy Buffett’s harmonica player of 26 years.
Middlebrook’s work has been featured in Showtime movies and on the Discovery Channel. He has warmed up audiences for artists such as Reba McEntire, The Doobie Brothers, Hall and Oats, Jefferson Starship, Meatloaf and Lynyrd Skynyrd. He recently released his newest CD, “The Key West Connection,” which features performances by the Motor City Horns (Bob Seger’s horn band), Greg “Fingers” Taylor and Donny Brown. The album also contains some lyrical collaboration with author Lorian Hemingway (yes, granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway) and cover art by the marine-life artist, Wyland.
In March of 2013, Balmy Palms began their search for the perfect trop rock song. In August, the brand narrowed down the many submissions to three. Along with Middlebrook, the other two Balmy Palms trop rock songwriting finalists were Bry Harris and Michael Williams. Balmy Palms then asked their fans to assist in the final selection by voting for their favorites at BalmyPalms.com. Thousands of votes later, Middlebrook’s song rose to the top.
Thanks for reading and following along on the Balmy Palms songwriting contest journey. It has been fun.
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