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Alabama Music Office.com goes to Alabama's Gulf Coast to attend Frank Brown International Songwriter's Festival 2013. Sam Cooper and Kaylan Loyd share their craft with us at Flora-Bama on their main stage.
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SAM COOPER
Born in Richmond, VA, Sam moved to NJ in 1972 at 19. He loved sound early on. 1st grade--he started on drums--& quit when forced to use a practice pad--he wanted to hit a real drum. Grade 4, he started playing trumpet and guitar. With no formal musical training or guidance and encouragement from family or counselors, Sam gained confidence getting gigs without actually looking for them. It had not dawned on him that he could study music-related courses before he dropped out of college his sophomore year or that he'd make money performing or writing songs until he played guitar and sang in bands. He learned other instruments and how to produce/engineer to create music in genres that had influenced him as a baby boomer.

Sam married the love of his life, Dawn, in 2001. By previous marriages, he has 3 sons and she has 1. Sam had performed his original songs and cover tunes in bars, shows and for private engagements for decades, but it was Dawn who encouraged him to make the jump into the music "industry". In 2005, the plans formed and in 2006, he visited Nashville for the 1st time. He immediately realized that this was where he belonged. Within months, he was commuting back & forth between both homes, 2 weeks at a time. About three years later, it became a lopsided situation with most of his time spent in Nashville. In 2010, he officially became a resident of Nashville, where he writes/produces music in several genres at his own and other various studios.
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Kaylan Loyd is in an American singer-songwriter born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1992. Raised by a musical family, Kaylan began studying music at the early age of 2, learning vocal exercises from her Dad. By the time she was seven years old she had landed her first paying recording session singing background vocals with her sister as the 'Snowflakes' on Liz Anderson's "Fairy Grandmother" CD.

At the age of 10, Kaylan began singing the National Anthem at the March of Dimes Walk-a-thon in Nashville, TN, and she continued to sing it each year until she was 17

At age 11, Kaylan competed and took 1st place in Talent Search TV talent contest, wowing the audience with her powerhouse performance of, "His Eye Is On the Sparrow", from Sister Act II.

At 15, Kaylan competed in Page High School's Patriot Idol and took 1st place, winning a host of musical prizes as well as a music video shoot.

At 16, Kaylan auditioned for American Idol and made it to the last day of Hollywood, going all the way to the top 51. What a thrill it was for her to perform 3 songs on the stage of the Kodak Theatre, and she was given much face time on the show.

Kaylan began getting hired to do gigs such as "Jonesborough Days" music festival in Jonesborough, TN and in her senior year, she auditioned for and got to play the role of Cinderella in the Rogers & Hammerstein's musical. She also had the extreme honor of singing the National Anthem at her high school graduation as well as the Nashville Sounds Baseball games on several occasions.

Since graduating high school, she has performed in Nashville at The Bluebird Cafe, Douglas Corner Café, The Listening Room, The Basement, and The Tin Roof just to name a few. She has also performed at the Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival the last two years. She performed on "Tennessee Mornings" on Fox Network, June 17th 2011 with father songwriter/producer Gary Loyd as a tribute to Fathers Day.

Currently Kaylan is writing and recording a CD with her Dad, multi-platinum award winning songwriter/producer Gary Loyd. She is currently writing for publishing company, County Girl Swag, SESAC.