Our little town was filled with music moguls from all over the world last week, as the Third Annual Prater’s Creek By Prater’s Creek Music Conference was held. All of the world’s music attention was focused on our little town as over thirty up and coming bands were showcased to representatives from all of the major recording labels.

Along with the live showcases, there were also panel discussions on various subjects pertaining to the music industry such as song copyrighting, getting signed to a major label, royalties, what states had dry counties, and just what is the legal age in each state.

The conference was kicked off on Wednesday afternoon by ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbon’s keynote address, "The Three Ts of Being A Good Musician: Tone, Taste, and Tenacity". That was followed by a delicious meal catered by B&B BBQ. That night the week of music began with stages spread throughout town. Over at the Livwright’s General Store stage, bands such as The Prater’s Creek Dolls, a New York Dolls tribute band played, along with the Stroll Bums, The Big Runts (out of Schnecksville PA), Workhorse (out of Athens, GA), The Kings of Beer (from over in Clemson), and The Unmoldables, (from parts unknown). Making a return visit to the conference was Trio Bel Canto, a Greek band out of Fort Lee, NJ, who pinned the audience’s ears back with the band’s fast as lightning picking on their bazoukis and singing perfect harmonies. On Saturday night the audience was treated to a special reunion of Six Mile’s favorite sons, Tony Tidwell and the Scalded Dogs.

There was also a special stage at Devoid Mill showcasing a new genre of punk rock music, "Textile Punk". The "Non-Conformity Stage", as it was dubbed, had such local bands as The Warp Outs, The Short Doffs, and The Bad Beams. At the end of this showcase, all of the bands returned to the stage and joined in on The Drovers Old Time Medicine's "Trouble, Trouble" and Woody Guthrie's "Don't Blame Me I'm Working For The Union".

Sunday afternoon was the last day of the conference with a gospel show on the lawn of Prater’s Creek First Baptist Church. The Drovers Old Time Medicine Show performed an all gospel set, along with The Roy Knight Singers, and the Prater’s Creek Church Choir. The congregation also heard a speech by Randell Alewine entitled "How Black People Sing on the Three and White People Sing on the Two and Four". A teenager also witnessed to the crowd about how he used to be into "acid rock" but now he has "found the Lord and sings nothing but gospel songs off of the four Hee Haw Gospel recordings".

A controversy arose over Toby Keith’s speech on the subject of "How to Put Out Total Crap and Get Rich Doing It". Mr. Keith’s manager had this to say: "The audience treated his speech like it was a comedy routine, all that laughing. It was rude. Toby’s feelings were hurt".

The conference ended as The Drovers Old Time Medicine Show came back on stage and led the audience in singing "Will The Circle Be Unbroken".