This year’s James G. “Bobo” Driver Memorial Award, the award for the National Championship for Country Musician Beginners, went to an outstanding fiddle player from Elkton, KY. Noah Goebel impressed the judges and the crowd with his fiddling skills during Saturday afternoon’s Jamboree competitions.
Many of the Driver family were on hand to present the award to Goebel. “Bobo” Driver created the children’s competition at the Jamboree during the 1980s.
“Our father, patriarch of the Driver family, James G. ‘Bobo’ Driver, was one of the organizers, founders of the Jamboree in 1972 and he participated in the Jamboree for 20 years until he passed away.” said Mickey Driver, son of Bobo Driver. “He was a country music performer himself, and had his own band back in the day. He loved this kind of music. He, Joe L. Evins, and Berry C. Williams started this festival.”
“We still have a family band. We play quite a bit. This is just part of our family on stage here today. We’re having a family reunion this weekend. We’re just proud to be here. Thank you all for being here. We love this kind of music and you folks. We hope you’ll keep coming back. It’s been 50 years, but we hope it goes on to infinity and beyond. Thank you for all your support of the Jamboree.”
Goebel was a big winner in other competitions as well, including the Nolan Turner Memorial Entertainer of the Year award with a check for $125. The award is presented to the best overall instrumental entertainer among winners in the dobro guitar, mandolin, five string banjo, and flat top guitar competition. Turner, who died in 2017, was Jamboree photographer for many years.
This year’s Country Musician Beginners winners are as follows:
In the Fiddle competition, Goebel beat out second place contestant Jackson Collier of Gallatin, TN, and Owen Butler of Smyrna, TN, who was third.
Arlee Fowlkes of Hurricane Mills, TN, won the buck dancing category, with Owen Butler of Smyrna, TN, coming in second, and Noah Fennell of Dickson, TN, taking third.
Fowlkes also won the Beginner Clogging competition, while second place went to Fennell, and third went to Treble Chunn of Greenbrier, TN.
In the Dobro Guitar category, Jake Atherton of Anderson, AL, took the top prize, with no other contestants competing.
Goebel won the Mandolin category, with Wyatt Ellis of Maryville, TN, taking second, and Ace Walters of Lebanon, TN, taking third.
Goebel also won the Five String Banjo competition, with second place going to Sawyer Barrett of Bradyville, TN. There were no other contestants.
It was Goebel again in the Flat Top Guitar category, while Ellis took second, and Finn Cope of Spring Hill, TN, came in third place.
