Polk County Native Eli Mosley Playing at Southern Sunshine BBQ & Music Festival
by James Coulter
Country musician Eli Mosley has toured extensively nationwide. Currently, he is performing in Texas. He will soon be heading to Florida, where he will be visiting his favorite venue: his home of Polk County.
Eli Mosley and his band will be one of the many musical acts performing at this year’s Southern Sunshine BBQ & Music Festival in Lake Wailes Park in Lake Wales on Jan. 13 and 14.
Born and raised in Polk County, Mosley graduated from Southeastern University in Lakeland with his music business degree and from the Contemporary Music Center in Nashville, Tenn. He served as a U.S. Marine from 2009 to 2015. He comes from a long line of armed servicemembers, with his grandfather having served in World War II, his father having served in Vietnam, and his brother serving alongside him in the Marines.
He fell in love with music listening to artists like Tracy Byrd, George Strait, Brooks and Dunn, and Alan Jackson. But his real inspiration comes from the heart through the love of his hometown of Bartow.
“Living life is a great inspiration,” he explained. “Most of what I write is what I have been through with personal life experiences…I am running a ranch outside of Bartow. It is working on a ranch, that is a great inspiration for country music.”
His music career started with him playing local bars and barbecue festivals right here in Polk County. Often, he would perform regularly at places like Duke’s Brewhouse and 1916 Pub. His time to shine arrived when he was invited to play at Party on the Pines, a festival in North Florida supporting headliners like Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert.
After that, he was invited to play big shows and concerts, performing for audiences ranging from 45 to 45 thousand people, he said. Currently, he is a national-touring country music artist who has been extensively traveling across the country for the past seven years. He has received rave reviews from many of the venues where he performed, many of which are highlighted on his website.
“His combination of his own hits as well as covers to well-known country standards was a real crowd pleaser,” wrote Pat Bryan, Entertainment Chair, Grant Seafood Festival. “Eli and his band are seasoned musicians who “bring it” in every way.”
“Eli engages the audience with stories of his background in music as well as his personal life,” wrote Mike Brown, Owner, 12 Spies Vineyards. “He has the ability to read the guests and make the adjustments to ensure the audience is receiving the highest level of enjoyment and experience.”
When not touring, he is writing and producing music in Nashville. His latest single, “When It Comes to a Woman,” written by a close friend, Chris Choto, focuses on the heartbreaking details
of “falling in love and breaking up,” Mosley explained. Another single, releasing later this year, highlights the highs and lows of the time during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“[It’s about] the country being shut down by COVID and being off the road and actually some of the good parts that came out for that..[like] spending more time with your family that you don’t normally get to spend with your busy career,” he explained.
His latest single is #77 on national Music Row charts. His music is played on radio stations nationwide, including WWOJ in Sebring.
Of all the places where he has performed, he is most excited about returning to his home of Polk County and playing for a local event like the Southern Sunshine BBQ & Music Festival. He enjoys returning to his roots and playing where his career began.
“I am excited to play Polk County again,” he wrote. “When I got the call, I was super excited. I am ready to play Polk County again, and we will have a lot of fun…So this will be a good time, and I am excited to see people and friends and family members and get to have them see what we have been doing.”
The Southern Sunshine BBQ & Music Festival will be hosted in Lake Wailes Park in Lake Wales from Fri. Jan. 13 from 5 – 10 PM and Sat. Jan 14 from 10 AM – 10 PM. To learn more, visit: https://www.ktsunshinefoundation.com/
To learn more about Eli Mosley, visit his website at: https://elimosley.com/
