2005 Best Singer/Songwriter
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25.86% Sunny Taylor*
Others with Votes (more than one):
Best Singer/Songwriter Best Acoustic Performer * On the ballot |
Taylor had made the climb some 13 times (by my count) across three categories) prior to Thursday’s trip, and for her, the 14th was as special as the first, and as unexpected. "I thought it was going to be near impossible," she said. "I didn’t think there was any way I was going to win any more. There are some bad ass songwriters in Fort Wayne. That’s all I’ve got to say." Prior to her win, she was a little more verbose, at least in responding to my email seeking answers to inane questions. "I'd like to say I'm too humble to assume I'd be a big winner and need a prepared speech," she e-mailed with a grin. "However, who doesn't lie awake at night dreaming of holding that Whammy and having a room full of peers hanging on your every profound uttering. It means a lot. Being recognized for what you do (Whammy or no Whammy) is a reassuring sign that you have made an impression of some sort." She has made an impression, all right. Taylor has grown up with an eager and attentive audience over the 10 years she been performing in public. She has grown from a shy, self-deprecating bud of a singer/songwriter into a shy, self-deprecating bloom of a mother and wife, ever the talented singer/songwriter, but with a different perspective. "I’m enjoying the trappings of mommyhood and wifeyhood," she said. "One daughter, Jaina, and another baby on the way in July. I also have the hottest husband on the planet, hence the two babies." Taylor has teamed with a surprising number of local musicians over the years. Attempting a list would be futile. Suffice it to say her appeal ranges beyond mere fandom to the realm of fellow artists who pour themselves into their craft with abandon. Duane Eby, Mike Conley, Dave Todoran, Matt Sturm ... While the demands of family life may slow her down, her underlying talent will not abate. For Taylor, the joy of playing reaches beyond mere performance to something deeper. "It's a way of connecting with people," she said. "When you can pull strangers out of their individual zones and make them feel the same feeling as you, no matter how high or low ... simple conversation can't break down such barriers." Keep pulling, Sunny |
Copyright 2006 Ad Media Inc.
Watching Sunny Taylor ascend the steps to
claim yet another Whammy is comforting, like a
good friend ambling onto the front porch with a
grin and a song and a whole afternoon of nothing
but ease as the sun drops like a ball into a net
of branches.