ISLAND HOPPER SONGWRITER FEST 2021

MUSIC’S STORY BEHIND THE STORY, RETURNS SEPTEMBER 17-26

Written by: Miriam Dotson

The twist at the Island Hopper Songwriter Fest is the story behind the story, the singer behind the song.

That is the fun of the 10-day festival featuring country music’s greatest singer-songwriters, most working from Nashville. Some 80 singer-songwriters perform more than 100 shows over the course of the festival.

Postponed last year due to the pandemic, this year’s 7th annual Island Hopper Songwriter Fest returns September 17-26, at select venues in downtown Fort Myers, Captiva Island and Fort Myers Beach.

This year’s scheduled headliners are Jimmie Allen and Michael Ray. Allen was the Academy of Country Music Awards new male artist of the year in 2019, Ray is also a noted solo artist, both with extensive writing credits with major country performers.

Other scheduled performers this year include Aaron Barker, Jay Allen, Frank Myers, and Island Hopper alums Clint Daniels, Dylan Altman and local favorite Sheena Brook. Most of the performances are free in small, intimate venues, giving the audience a chance to get to know the songwriter and the stories behind the songs. Many had penned songs for stars such as Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, George Strait, Jason Aldean and Lee Ann Womack.

Southwest Florida’s Island Hopper in the beginning was shaped around the Key West Songwriters Festival that ran in May. But it had assumed its own identity, especially with the unique backdrop of Captiva, Fort Myers Beach, in downtown Fort Myers, which in the last decade has remade itself and become a hot Florida attraction.

Island Hopper kicks off on Captiva Island (Sept. 17-19), then moving to historic downtown Fort Myers (Sept. 20-23),