Tehachapi News

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Emcee Stan Chambers, long-time news anchor at KTLA Television in Los Angeles, presented a coveted IRWIN Award to Tehachapi author and fiddler Gayel Pitchford on behalf of the Book Publicists of Southern California. Pitchford's book, Fiddler of the Opry: the Howdy Forrester Story won the 2008 IRWIN Award for Best Niche Marketing Campaign. 

Chambers had this to say: “Know your audience-and find it. That's basic in the promotion of books...A young lady who really knew how to focus is Gayel Pitchford, the 2008 IRWIN Award Winner for Best Niche Marketing Campaign. As a fiddler with her own band, she decided to write the definitive study of the life of one of the greatest country fiddlers ever, Howdy Forrester, who died over twenty years ago.

Hence, her entertaining book, Fiddler of the Opry. From her base in Tehachapi she spent five years [going back and forth] to Nashville researching the man who starred 38 years on the Grand Ole Opry.  Her niche was that Opry audience, bluegrass enthusiasts, old time music lovers and musicians of every stripe. And she has certainly succeeded. She contacted every fiddler she knew [and many she didn't know], entered every fiddle contest anywhere, contacted music schools and developed a good web site.  My, how the sales built.”

Not only does she know who her audience is, she regularly plays to them. As she received her award from Chambers, she told the audience “It's really all about the music-Howdy's music. Give me a minute to get my fiddle and I'll prove it to you.” 

She stepped off stage, put on her signature red hat, picked up her fiddle and returned to the stage to entertain the audience with a rendition of Memphis Blues, a tune Howdy Forrester recorded on his Stoneway album “Stylish Fiddlin'.”  After thunderous applause, people flocked to her table to talk to her, admire her hat and buy her book.  Truly, she does know her market and how to reach it.

Book Publicists of Southern California has presented annual IRWIN Awards (Industry Recognition of Writers in the News) for the past fifteen years. Many famous authors from across the country have received  IRWIN Awards during that time, and the award is regarded in the industry as something to be coveted.

Pitchford's book is available locally for purchase at Books and Crannies, Mountain Music, and the Heritage League Museum — or by mail from the publisher at www.howdyforrester.com. If you are looking for a good read, a great biography, an inspiring  rags to riches story of a musician who came armed only with his talent (and no music lessons), a well-researched and carefully documented book about one of the Opry's finest fiddlers, or just some really great new fiddle tunes to learn, then this book is for you.

For more information, contact Dr. B. J. Mitchell at Viewpoint Press, (661)821-5110.