Chad Elliott is the 2009 Woody Guthrie Festival Songwriting Contest Winner with his song, "Same Old Way." It is featured on his much anticipated album, "Redemption Man," in the fall of 2009. Redemption Man was produced by Bo Ramsey (Greg Brown, Lucinda Williams, Dave Moore). After winning FolkAlley.com’s Open Mic Finals with his song “Bluebird Creek,” songwriter Elliott earned a spot on stage with Odetta. Odetta is just one on a long list of prolific folk artists he has shared the stage with including Tom Paxton, Loudon Wainwright III, Eric Taylor, Buddy Mondlock, Dan Zanes, R.L. Burnside and Storyhill. Also, Elliott’s song, “How’s the Weather?” was chosen out of 300,000 folk songs as an award nominee for the Top 20 New Folk Songs on Just Plain Folks. Elliott was recognized as a 2008 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Finalist. He was one of 32 finalists, chosen from 800 applicants, who competed during the 2008 Kerrville Folk Festival. Above all the Iowa songwriter’s music slips messages about life as he has experienced it through living with the homeless, love, divorce, fatherhood and discovering inspiration in a modern world through strong lyrics and guitar. His paintings and ceramics reflect his earthy intonations and carry a feeling of finding place without placement and home where no house stands. Elliott is a monument to the proverb, “All those who wander are not lost.”