Small Town Tennessean Josh Doyle Beats Out 17,000 Hopefuls to be Named Winner of First Ever Guitar Center Singer-Songwriter Contest

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Feb. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Guitar Center – the world's largest retailer of music instruments and equipment – is excited to announce Josh Doyle, from Antioch, Tennessee, as the winner of Guitar Center's Singer-Songwriter competition. Launched October of 2011, Guitar Center's Singer-Songwriter set out to find the nation's best, unsigned singer-songwriter. Out of more than 17,000 submissions, 10 finalists were hand-selected by Grammy award-winning producer John Shanks to perform live this past Saturday, Feb. 18, at Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles for the chance to win an array of career-altering prizes.  As the nation's top undiscovered singer-songwriter, Doyle takes home a prize package including $10,000 cash, a 3-song EP produced by Shanks, new gear from Fender, Taylor, Ernie Ball and Shure and much more.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120221/LA56614)

Also performing with the 10 undiscovered singer-songwriter finalists this past Saturday night was Los Angeles-based artist, Meiko. The Indie-folk songstress entertained the crowd while Shanks deliberated on his chosen winner.  Having been a regular at Hotel Cafe for some time now, Meiko charmed the audience with songs from her upcoming album The Bright Side, to be released in May. Hosted by renowned-music journalist Nic Harcourt, it was a night complete with original music and impressive performances. In the end, Doyle's lyrics and vocal ability shone through and won over Shanks.

"All 10 finalists are incredibly skilled and stepped up with inspiring performances, it was a very tough decision," said John Shanks. "There was something unmistakable about Josh's raw performance at Hotel Cafe. The combination of his talent – that voice and impeccably crafted lyrics -- struck a chord with me, making him the clear winner. I look forward to guiding him through the process of recording his EP."

Watch Josh Doyle's winning performance here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YNnxU3MQV8

Grand Prize List:
3-song EP with Grammy Award-winning producer John Shanks
$10,000 cash
Studio time at Converse Rubber Tracks studio in NYC
New gear from Fender, Taylor, Shure and Ernie Ball
Worldwide distribution from TuneCore including Free Album, Music Video and Global Songwriting Service

With a British accent, Josh Doyle may not sound like your average Tennessean. However, there is no mistaking his talent and his southern charm. After moving to Tennessee from England as a young boy, Doyle spent his formative years learning to play guitar in Antioch, TN, a small town outside of Nashville. His close proximity to the Music City clearly influenced this talented singer-songwriter. Doyle's raw talent and passion for performing was apparent to the Hotel Cafe crowd, as his commanding stage presence showed at Saturday night's competition.

"I feel incredibly honored to have been chosen from over 17,000 people as the winner of Guitar Center Singer-Songwriter," said Josh Doyle. "It's been a whirlwind experience. Sharing my music with other people is what I love to do, and with this competition Guitar Center and John Shanks are helping me do that on a larger scale than I could have ever imagined."

Partners for Guitar Center's Singer-Songwriter include: Shure, Fender, Taylor, Ernie Ball, TuneCore, Converse, ASCAP, Filter Magazine and Whooznxt.

About Guitar Center

Guitar Center is the world's largest retailer of guitars, amplifiers, drums, keyboards and pro-audio and recording equipment. Our retail store subsidiary presently operates 224 Guitar Center stores across the U.S. We are also the largest direct response retailer of musical instruments in the United States through our wholly owned subsidiary, Musician's Friend, Inc., and its catalog and Web site, www.musiciansfriend.com. In addition, our Music & Arts division operates more than 100 stores specializing in band instruments for sale and rental, serving teachers, band directors, college professors and students. More information on Guitar Center can be found by visiting the Company's Web site at www.guitarcenter.com.

About John Shanks

John Shanks is one of the hottest and most influential producers working today.  On top of that, he is a hit songwriter and accomplished guitar player.  John has produced and/or written 43 #1 singles, 67 #1 albums and sold over 60 million records to date in the genres of Rock, Pop and Country music.  In 2005, he won the Grammy for Producer of the Year. To people in the industry, his work is considered the gold standard.  "John's records have become the sound of Top Forty Radio," Clive Davis told Rolling Stone.  "He's the father of that guitar-driven kind of pop sound."

SOURCE Guitar Center