7:00 PM THURSDAY ~ Don Edwards & Waddie Mitchell |
||
 |
 |
 |
DON EDWARDS ~ Hico, Texas |
WADDIE MITCHELLl ~ Spring Creek, Nevada |
|
| Join us for two evenings of Cowboy Poetry and Music! |
| Performers at 6:00pm on Friday and 8:30pm on Saturday in the Henry Strater Theater. Chris Isaacs Chuck Pyle Gary McMahon Belinda Gail HOST - Jay Snider Tickets $20 or $25, reserved seating. Buy your ticket now |
 |
Performers at 8:30pm on Friday and 6:00pm on Saturday in the Henry Strater Theater. Jay Snider Gail Steiger Yvonne Hollenbeck Dave Stamey HOST - Gary McMahon Tickets $20 or $25, reserved seating. Buy your ticket now |
 |
 |
|
| CHRIS ISAACS ~ Eager, Arizona A three-time winner of the Academy of Western Artists Will Rogers Award, Chris is a poet and storyteller who has lived the life that he writes about. He has seen life from a cowboy’s point of view for all of his 60-plus years, and his poems and stories are alive with the heart and humor of cowboy life. He can usually find the funny side of any situation, and is considered by many to be one of the finest humorists in the country. “It always bothers me that so many people seem to think that cowboy poetry is nothing more than funny stories and bad grammar. Nothing could be further from the truth. Good poetry is good poetry, whether it is “The Ballad of William Sycamore” by Stephen Vincent Benet, “Maud Muller” by John Greenleaf Whittier or “Anthem” by Buck Ramsey. The story of an American experience is being related, and if it is well written it should be recognized,” he said. Chris has been published in numerous magazines, has two books of his work published and five albums of poetry recorded. He has worked at many different aspects of the cowboy life, from being a full-time working cowboy to rodeoing and spending many years as a packer. In between jobs you could usually find him making a living as a horseshoer. He has a passion for good horses and mules, and has even owned a good dog or two. He currently day-works for area ranches and travels the country with his poetry. For more information visit: www.chrisisaacs.com |
JAY SNIDER ~ Cyril, Oklahoma
|
|
 |
 |
|
| CHUCK PYLE ~ Palmer Lake, Colorado This master singer/songwriter has 30 years of great songs and guitar stylings under his belt, wrapping hummable melodies with straight-from-the-saddle poetry. To some folks, he is a “walking contradiction,” blending upbeat spirituality with horse sense. His music mixes Western themes, Folk, Rock, cowboy poetry and new age humor into unique songs that are complex and incredibly funny. Chuck developed his own powerful and unique finger picking style and has taught guitar seminars everywhere. For more information visit: www.chuckpyle.com |
GAIL STEIGER ~ Prescott, Arizona Gail comes from both a ranching and songwriting background. His grandfather, Gail Gardner, wrote several well-known cowboy songs and was once named “Poet Lariat” of Arizona. Gail worked on his father’s ranches off and on while growing up, and later worked on the Cross U and Spider Ranches in Yavapai County, and on the Yolo Ranch, the 7UP, the DC Cattle Co. and the O6 Ranch. In 1987, Gail and his brother Lew and some friends made a film about cowboys called Ranch Album, which was released as a national PBS special and awarded a CINE Golden Eagle. TV Guide called it “cinematically brilliant and wonderfully constructed,” and the Wall Street Journal said it was "a gorgeous film,” eventually being included in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts/UCLA Film and Television Archive Series of Outstanding Documentaries. Gail has been the foreman of the Spider Ranch since 1995. He continues to work part-time with Lew on various film and multimedia projects. He’s sung songs and told stories at cowboy poetry gatherings around the southwest and has recently traveled to Mongolia, Brazil, Argentina, France, Spain and Hungary with the Western Folklife Center in connection with their cultural exchange program, working on a documentary project about cowboys around the world. For more information visit: www.gailsteiger.biz |
|
 |
 |
|
| GARY MCMAHAN ~ Bellvue, Colorado Gary is known for his award-winning songs, captivating stories, uproarious humor and national championship yodeling. A Colorado native, Gary has made his living doing everything from cowboying to guiding to performing. He can brand, calve, rope, ride broncs, fence, hay, shoe horses, pack and drive teams, and has won many honors in the rodeo arena. His colorful background has set him in good stead to practice his heart's desire: to write, perform, and record the stories, poems, songs, and humor of his Western heritage, becoming one of the most dynamic and sought-after writers and performers in his field. "Like horse manure, I've been all over the West," he said. "First with my Dad as he hauled cattle from Montana and the Dakotas to Texas and all points in between, then as a cowboy, and finally as an entertainer. For most of my life, I've somehow managed to make my living either with a horse or a guitar. My guitar and I continue to travel the country 'spreading it around' and probably will 'til we both give out." For more information: www.singingcowboy.com |
YVONNE HOLLENBECK ~ Clearfield, South Dakota When Yvonne and her friend Willard Hollopeter started the Nebraska Cowboy Poetry Gathering and Old West Days in Valentine, Nebraska, little did she know that this would take her to the top of the cowboy poetry world. After being a “closet poet” for most of her life, Yvonne was coerced into performing at the very first daytime session of that athering. Although she was a nervous wreck, a number of other performers encouraged her to continue writing and performing. Yvonne rose to become the most award-winning cowgirl poet in America and one of the most published cowgirl poets in the West. Yvonne and her husband, Glen, own and operate a working cattle ranch where Yvonne actively participates in every duty involved with its operation. Her poetry is a reflection of this life, although an occasional event or memory may also stir her creativity. For more information visit: www.yvonnehollenbeck.com
|
|
 |
 |
|
| BELINDA GAIL ~ Crestline, California This multi-award winning entertainer and singer/songwriter continues to leave audiences spellbound with her soaring voice and captivating on-stage presence. Drawing heavily on her ranching roots, Belinda’s music reflects not only the land she loves, but the values and beauty of a way of life she holds dear. Belinda is a full-time entertainer who said she delights in criss-crossing this nation as well as traveling internationally to share her own special brand of Western music. For more information visit: www.belindagailsings.com
|
DAVE STAMEY ~ Nipomo, California Dave has been a cowboy, a mule packer and a dude wrangler – and he is now one of the most popular western entertainers working today. He has been twice voted Entertainer of the Year, three times Male Performer of the Year and twice Songwriter of the Year by the Western Music Association, and received the Will Rogers Award from the Academy of Western Artists. He’s delighted audiences in 14 states, and said he prefers this to being stomped on by angry horses. For more information visit: www.davestamey.com
|
JUNI FISHER ~Franklin, Tennessee |
||||
| DAYTIME SESSIONS OF COWBOY POETRY, MUSIC, STORYTELLING AND FOLKLORE ~ 10:30 am to 4:20 pm ~ Strater Hotel, General Palmer Hotel and Rochester Hotel. The “heart” of the Gathering, featuring 40 invited performers in four concurrent theme sessions every hour. In open sessions anyone can entertain. To sign up, call Karren Little at 970-382-8897. FREE admission. |
||
 |
 |
 |
| GARY ALLEGRETTO ~
Laurel Canyon, California American Cowboy magazine calls Gary Allegretto's performances... "Amazing. This good-natured cowboy singer-songwriter blows you away with his talent. You've never seen or heard anything like it." Indeed, Gary is a five-time Western Music Association award nominee, including Outstanding Entertainer and Outstanding Instrumentalist. He's also a Best of the West Award winner with two Grammy Award considerations for his unique brand of song writing and music that's been featured on soundtracks for major motion pictures and television. in addition to his performances, Gary is also providing the gathering his award-winning harmonica workshop (that sold out last year) in which complete complete beginners learn to play Cowboy songs instantly. Don't miss an opportunity to witness the worlds top "Harmonicowboy"! For more information visit: www.myspace.com/harmonicowboy |
JACK BLEASE ~ Krum, Texas Jack lives in a log cabin on a small ranch near Palo Duro Canyon, but said he doesn’t pretend to be a real cowboy. “I’m still a cowboy wannabe.” He raises registered Texas Longhorns and Appaloosas, but works at a day job to support that habit. Jack was born in Michigan and spent much of his childhood on his grandparents’ farm where the farmer down the road still plowed with horses. He grew up playing piano, organ and trumpet and added guitar at age 25. A communications degree and study at a Methodist seminary launched him down a path that eventually brought him to the west. His career has typically been in sales and marketing, but side jobs have included singing cowboy songs, reciting poetry and officiating at weddings. “Cowboys aren’t religious in the normal sense, but they are spiritual,” he said. “If a cowboy gives you his word, you can bank on it. If people would live their faith the way working cowboys do, it would be a better world.” |
|
 |
 |
|
NAOMI BRISTOW ~ Beeton, Ontario |
TERESA BURLESON ~ Weatherford, Texas Teresa is an award-winning cowgirl poet whose poems are inspired by her personal experiences, heritage and the Western way of life. This Texas native has an appreciation for the agricultural industries and the people who make their lives in it. Teresa's "zest" for life is evident in her poetry as well as her ability to make people laugh and touch their lives. She has been nominated by the Western Music Association and the Academy of Western Artists and was the AWA 2010 Cowgirl Poet of the Year. For more information visit: www.teresaburlesoncowgirlpoet.com |
|
 |
 |
|
| JEANNE AND JEROME - CALL OF THE WEST ~ Strang, Oklahoma Exquisite harmonies, top-notch musicianship and on-stage fun add spice to the lively Western tunes, country standards, cowboy poetry, Western swing favorites and originals performed by this duo. Besides lead and harmony vocals, both possess formidable instrumental skills. Jerome was the 2006 Merle Travis National Thumbpicking Champion and Jeanne was nominated for the 2006 and 2007 Western Music Association Instrumentalist of the Year. Call of the West was nominated for 2007 Western Music Association Traditional Duo/Group of they Year and they have been featured on RFD-TV's "Best of America by Horseback" and "Midwest Country Theater." For more information visit: www.jeanneandjerome.com |
NONA KELLEY CARVER ~ Mesa, Colorado Poetry has opened many doors for Nona, as she is known throughout the West for her performances and sense of humor. Reciting both serious and rib-tickling rhythms, she enjoys the response of her audiences as much as they enjoy hearing her. Weaving fact with fiction, she gives insight into the Old West and amuses ranch folk who still make their living from the land as their grandparents did. Nona was born and raised in Colorado, where she and her husband Alfred purchased land that had been in the Carver family for three generations. Her ranching background inspires her writing, and her characters are varied and lovable as they speak of our Western heritage. |
|
 |
 |
|
| DICK ELDER ~ Durango, Colorado Dick was born on 1927 and grew up in Ohio. After high school he enlisted in the Navy and served as a combat air crewman in World War II. He attended Ohio State University and worked in business until 1959. During the '50s Dick became active in horse training, showing and teaching. In 1960, along with two partners, he purchased 500 acres of land near Durango and built Colorado Trails Ranch which he managed for 37 years. He was in the cattle business but soon learned that "dudes" were a more reliable cash crop. Working with the American Humane Association, Dick taught at their National Horse Abuse Investigators School and was their representative on a number of films including City Slickers and The Horse Whisperer, and he lectured and taught riding at Monty Roberts’ International Learning Center. Dick has been writing poetry since his high school days, plays piano and guitar and has written more than 40 songs. His books include Which Way is West and Lovers & Liars, and his latest, It Sure Beats Working. Retired since 1997, Dick and his wife Ginny divide their time between homes in Durango and Cave Creek. |
DOUG FIGGS ~ Lemitar, New Mexico Tucked among the cottonwoods along the Rio Grande River is a hidden treasure – a singer/songwriter inspired by his love for horses, dedication to the cowboy way of life and devotion to his family. Doug and his wife Cathy run a farrier business, grow some hay and day work for other local ranches when they get the chance. Doug is an active member of the Western Music Association and Academy of Western Artists and performs at gatherings and rodeos throughout the West. For more information visit: www.dougfiggs.com |
|
 |
 |
|
| THE GYPSY COWBELLE ~ Cora, Wyoming Living the life she sings about, The Gypsy Cowbelle is a genuine troubadour, offering intriguing glimpses into American culture and history. While caretaking a remote ranch, she honed skills such as driving teams, making tack, canning food, building banjos and wrangling. Two decades spent exploring the nation’s blue highways and backcountry afforded her rich understanding of the land and its people. While conducting workshops and performing her signature "Cowbilly" music nationwide, she has also appeared in movies, books, newspapers and radio interviews, entertained Wyoming’s first lady and shared the stage with Baxter Black and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada. For more information visit: www.gypsycowbelle.com |
KRISTYN HARRIS ~ McKinney, Texas This 18-year-old from Collin County was the winner of the 2012 Western Music Association Crescendo Award. She is noted for her singing, songwriting, swing rhythm guitar style, big bass thumping and yodeling (named the WMA Female Yodeler of the Year in 2012, and awarded the WMA Janet McBride Yodeling Award in 2011). Her heart lies in Western and Western Swing music, being inspired by classic and contemporary icons as well as her own ranch life. Along with her passion for playing music is her passion as a horseperson – she has trained two wild mustangs and draws inspiration from her horses daily. Kristyn has performed on national television as part of RFD-TV’s Shotgun Red Variety Show and Penny Gilley Show, and on Nickelodeon’s popular game show, Figure it Out. She also appears at venues local and across the U.S. and Canada. Kristyn never fails to gallop right into the hearts of her audiences with her warm, genuine and energetic personality! For more information visit :www.kristynharris.com |
|
 |
 |
|
| JOE HERRINGTON ~ Canyon Country, California The stories of this novelist, cowboy poet and storyteller are homespun and told in the Western tradition of honor, courage and rugged characters. Born a Texan, Joe’s grandfather and uncle were storytellers and from them he learned to weave tales and appreciate the power of words. During his army years he began to work with the Boy Scouts and honed his storytelling skills around the ideals of honor and character, then added rhyme and cadence to many of those stories. The result of such a mixture evolved into a blending of stories and poems that not only entertain but also teach and prod the soul with a truer understanding of deep values, solid character and the American Cowboy. For more information visit: www.joeherrington.com |
GT HURLEY ~ Big Timber, Montana This cowboy singer/songwriter makes his home in the shadow of the Crazy Mountains. He lives and works in the ranching community, raises Quarter horses and writes about the West as he sees it. GT was nominated by the Western Music Association for their 2012 Crescendo Award and has performed at festivals throughout the West, opening for major entertainers and playing the same stages as many top performers. His Tough Horses CD is number one on the radio play list, and song "Big Enough" is number seven in the top 10. For more information visit: www.gthurley.com |
|
 |
 |
|
| JIM JONES ~ Albuquerque, New Mexico Jim is a native Texan, student of the West and life-long devotee of all things cowboy. He’s performed in honky-tonks and churches, schools and Irish pubs, at campfires and high teas. His songwriting, guitar-picking and unique vocal style keeps him in demand on the Western music circuit, at house concerts, libraries and coffee houses throughout the Southwest. The Academy of Western Artists named him 2008 Male Western Vocalist of the Year and he received the 2009 New Mexico Music Award for Best Western Song for “The Cowboys of New Mexico.” Jim has produced eight Western Americana albums and three award-winning children’s educational music videos. His newest CD, “Borrowed Time,” has been heralded as his best work yet. Jim said when he can sneak away, he goes riding, fly fishing or snow skiing. For more information visit: www.jimjonesmusic.com |
JOLYNNE KIRKWOOD ~ Sigurd, Utah Jo Lynne was born in the small northern Arizona town of Fredonia. Her great-grandfather was an original settler of the area, and her family has worked with livestock for generations. Jo's poems reflect her intimate relationship with the land and the people of the Arizona Strip country, as well as an often tongue-in-cheek appreciation for daily agricultural life in central Utah, where she and her husband Michael now live. Jo is a Lariat Laureate on Cowboy Poetry.com, and has been named Female poet of the Year by the Academy of Western Artists. Her poetry has received numerous other awards and has been published in magazines, anthologies and elsewhere. |
|
 SUSIE KNIGHT ~ Conifer, Colorado This year marks Susie’s 50th year in the saddle and on stage performing her original Western songs and cowboy poetry for kids of all ages. An award-winning children’s entertainer, kids’ camp horseback riding instructor and cowboy poetry winner of the 2013 Cowboy Idol Contest, Susie has worked on ranches in Illinois, Wisconsin, South Dakota and Colorado. Her album, Western Wordsmith, won the WMA’s 2012 Cowboy Poetry CD of the Year. |
 Klace (14), Bracken(12), Mackenzie(9) and Kage(6) Lyman ~ Loa, Utah The Lymans began reciting cowboy poetry four years ago at the Wayne County Fair poetry contest after being inspired by their grandpa, Quinn Griffin, who is also a cowboy poet and writes all of their material. Klace (14), Bracken (12), Mackenzie (9) and Kage (6) are the oldest of six children living in a small community that allows them to be a part of the ranching lifestyle they love so much. They enjoy riding horses, roping and branding calves, raising chickens and everything else that involves ranching or farming, but their favorite thing about it all is being out on the range gathering cows and sleeping under the stars. The boys have started their own cattle herds and have been competing in extreme horsemanship challenges this past year. Mackenzie received first attendant in the small fry queen contest and can’t wait to compete again this year. The kids also enjoy playing sports and vacationing as a family. They like to entertain and love a good crowd! |
|
 |
 |
|
| SLIM MCWILLIAMS ~ Lewis, Colorado Slim’s ancestors arrived in America in 1775. His great-great-grandfather settled in Colorado on his way back from the California gold rush. Slim grew up on the stories of Will James, Steamboat and Midnight. He first hired out as a ranch hand in Wyoming at age 14 and has worked as a cowboy, guide, packer, and rode rough string on ranches from Wyoming to Arizona. He donated much of his earnings to other contestants at rodeos. He learned most of the traditional songs he sings in bunk houses, around the campfires or in the cab of a pickup on the way to a rodeo. |
DOC MEHL ~ Westminster, Colorado Doc traces his family roots to central Kansas, where his grandfather raised six children on the family homestead. From the tales of his family’s experiences, he weaves the history and the mystery of the west into his original poetry and music. He has performed in cowboy poetry festivals from El Paso to Cheyenne. His debut music recording is titled Asphalt Cowboy, and a new music CD is scheduled for release. Al has also published a CD of original poetry titled Cowboy Pottery, and his poems have been featured on CowboyPoetry.com For more information visit: www.docmehl.com |
|
 |
 |
|
| JENEVE ROSE MITCHELL ~ Crawford, Colorado This 13-year-old cowgirl is at home on 35 acres along the side of Saddle Mountain. Her family lives off the grid, and she said she loves to ride and train her seven horses. "We do not have electricity and I am home schooled, which is perfect for me to practice my nine instruments, sing and yodel ... and write songs!" For more information visit: www.jeneverosemitchell.com |
MUSTANG MIKKI ~ Fort Worth, Texas This16 year old from the Fort Worth area of Texas has lived all her life on a small ranch and is a true cowgirl. She adds to her young resume the abilities of a natural singer, musician and songwriter. She discovered her true calling of playing and singing Western music when she fell in love with Roy Rogers and Gene Autry movies (she even owns a golden palomino named Trigger!). Miss Devon of “Miss Devon and the Outlaw” has praised Mikki’s singing as a “sweet lilting prairie soprano.” To hone her passion even more, Janet McBride, the "Yodeling Queen," guided Miss Mikki into the fascinating world of American cowboy-style yodeling. After that, it wasn’t long before Mikki began delighting audiences at the Cowtown Opry in the Fort Worth Stockyards, at the National Cowboy Symposium, Durango Cowboy Gathering, Texas State Fair, Fort Worth Stock Show, other festivals, oprys, churches, chuck wagon dinners, retirement centers, schools, weddings, and private parties! Barry Ward said: “Mustang Mikki is the BEST of the new crop of young Western entertainers! Her infectious smile and top-notch delivery will have you shouting...'ENCORE!'...” For more information visit: www.mustangmikki.com |
|
 |
 |
|
| MIKE MOUTOUX ~ Silver City, New Mexico Mike is a cowboy singer-songwriter known as “New Mexico’s Enchanting Cowboy.” He specializes in turning ranch work into cowboy songs and poetry that will put an audience as close to being in the saddle as words and music allow. His work has taken him high into the Pecos Wilderness in northern New Mexico, to the rolling hills and arroyos of southwest New Mexico and to the flat mesquite plains near Carlsbad. He has shared stages with Western music greats and has been a friend to all as a radio DJ, festival emcee and concert producer. His performances mix his own cowboy poetry and music with a few classics audiences will surely recognize. There will be wild rides, cattle drives and endless big blue skies all wrapped up in poetry and song. With his smooth voice, authentic material and a wonderful sense of humor, it doesn’t take long to appreciate what enchanting means: captivating and charming. For more information visit: www.enchantingcowboy.com |
TERRY NASH ~ Loma, Colorado Terry was raised on the eastern Colorado plains near Idalia on a farm/ranch operation. In the late '60s, after the farm was lost in an estate battle, he drifted into a 35-year trucking career – never getting too far away from farming and cattle! Today, the horses, beef and hay that Terry and his wife Kathy raise are the mainstays of a "semi-retired" life that he leads while writing and reciting cowboy poetry and spending as much time a' horse back as possible. His wife suggested he include "raising chickens" in this bio, but that is her enterprise and he publicly denies having any association with poultry. For more information visit: www.terrynashcowboypoet.com |
|
 |
 |
|
| MIKE QUERNER ~ Lubbock, Texas Mike is no stranger to the Western way of life. His family has been involved in ranching for five generations, he was raised around cattle and horses and still day works on local ranches as time permits. Mike has been writing and performing cowboy poetry since 1989 and is a member of the advisory board for the National Cowboy Symposium and Celebration held in Lubbock each September. |
NANCY RUYBAL ~ Casa Grande, Arizona This poet, singer, musician and author may be petite and soft-spoken, but she hits the stage in a big way, bringing her love of land and our Western heritage to every performance. Audiences are enraptured by her alluring vibrato voice that some declare is pure folk, while others deem it perfect for gospel, swing or blues; each ultimately drawn in by sweet Celtic undertones that reach out and tug at the heart. If the melody and voice isn’t enough to stop you dead in your tracks, her provoking lyrics will. Songs like "Wild Rose," "Autumn's On Its Way," "White Tanks" and "Where The Wind Blows A Different Song," nominated for Western Music Association Song of the Year in 2011, establish Nancy as a true master of Western music. Led by true grit and cowboy know-how, this Ohio-born country girl is weaving a legendary trail of music into the tapestry of the West. For more information visit: www.KatyCreek.com |
|
 |
 |
|
| TRINITY SEELY ~ Alcava, Wyoming Trinity and her family live on the Handcart Ranch in a beautiful valley full of history and the lore of the West. She grew up in the Chilcotin of British Columbia, Canada, a vast empire of cattle ranches, snowy peaks and jackpine forests, where she learned "how to work hard and dream big." Her family owned and operated a guest ranch – her dad flew people out to remote lakes to fish while Trinity and her sisters and ran the dude string, milked the cows, cleaned cabins and rooms, prepared meals and entertained the guests at night with the family band. Trinity and her husband and raised and trained performance horses in Utah for a number of years while growing their family. She released her debut album of original songs in 2011, sharing the personal insights of a wife and lover of a cowboy. For more information visit: www.trinityseely.com |
CHAS SHAFER ~ Durango, Colorado Chas grew up near Santa Fe, traveling frequently with his father on pack trips into the Colorado high country in search of the wily cutthroat trout. He moved to Durango after law school and continued the family pack trip tradition with horses and a small ranch of his own. Inspired by Darcy Brown, a co-founder of Aspen Ski Corp., then age 92, Chas took up cowboy poetry and an eight=string tenor guitar some 10 years ago. He throws in a yodel or two now and then, picked up from time in the Austrian Alps, and enjoys his summers in Durango working with horses and entertaining kids around a campfire. |
|
 |
 |
|
| LINDY SIMMONS ~ Mancos, Colorado Lindy has lived on a ranch with her husband Eldon for 34 years. She followed the family on the rodeo road for several of those years. Her poetry is rooted in the true stories of the cowboys of history and present day. She is fluent in Spanish and is a Mexican and southwestern history buff. Lindy’s “day job” was as a professor at Fort Lewis College in Durango for 27 years. She recently retired to be a full-time writer of poetry and history. |
SIMPLE GIFTS - THE SAWYER FAMILY BAND ~ Weatherford, Texas You're sure to enjoy this great combination of family, fiddles, fun and song. The Sawyer Family has played to audiences as far away as England and as close as the State Fair of Texas, offering Western Heritage, Texas Swing and Gospel original tunes. David leads the band with outstanding fingerpicking guitar, and Kathy takes you through the journey of their show with her warm, energetic style and lead vocals. Leah (11) is a vivacious, talented musician, and young David (9) has a smile and fiddling that will knock your socks off. For more information visit: www.sawyerfamilymusic.com |
|
 |
 |
|
B.J. SMITH ~ Endiang, Alberta |
GAIL STARR ~ Carefree, Arizona Gail has received numerous professional accolades. She has opened for Charlie Pride, Mel Tillis and Don Edwards, held a contract with Allegiance Records of Hollywood and lived in Nashville where she wrote songs and worked on her singing career. Several of Gail’s recordings have received nationwide airtime, yet she still loves to pull out her guitar with a bunch of friends and “have a down-home good time.” |
|
 |
 |
|
| BROOKE TURNER ~ Clarinda, Iowa It's hard to imagine cowboys east of the Missouri, but Brooke is a real life cowboy who owns and operates a working cow calf outfit in southwest Iowa, along with the help of several dogs and horses, three kids and a top-hand wife. Brooke spends every day of his life ridin', ropin', rhymin' and tending to their herd. His poetry is guaranteed to "make some people laugh, some people cry and everyone think." He draws inspiration for his poetry from all areas of his life, from bull riding, to fishing with his kids, to calving in a blizzard or just riding out across his ranch in the morning light. He loves interacting and performing for all audiences but holds a special place in his heart for young folks. For more information visit: www.krazykowboy.com |
DICK WARWICK ~ Oaksdale, Washington |
|
 |
 |
|
WASHTUB JERRY ~ McDonald Obs, Texas For more information visit: washtubjerry.com |
HOST ~ SAM NOBLE ~ Durango, Colorado Sam grew up in southern Colorado herdin’ cattle and sheep “with no one but a horse and a dog for companionship and the Lord’s great creation for a classroom.” Sam started working cattle drives at the age of seven and held his first ranch job away from home at 13. He and his wife, Tanna, spent lots of time following the rodeos with their two boys. Sam has recited his poetry at the Bar D Chuckwagon chapel for several years and at gatherings all over the Southwest. |
|
|
| |
 |
||
These three events will be at the Rochester Hotel, 726 E. 2nd Ave. |
||
|
||
 |
 |
|
| RAMONA CUGNINI/RED GEER ~ Local Poet Show Ramona grew up on a ranch in southwest La Plata County in an area known as the “dry side” for it’s lack of water. Life was not easy during the Great Depression and she rode a horse three miles to go to school in the tiny town of Marvel. She helped with all the usual chores, then went to live with her sister in Farmington to attend high school. In 1972 she married Durango rancher Pat Cugnini and learned about ranching and the cattle business on a much larger scale. Pat was an auctioneer and businessman buying and selling commercial cattle, and together the couple ran Basin Livestock Commission, built and ran the Ignacio Sale Barn and High Country Packing Plant. The packing company and sale barn at Breen are still being operated by the family. Pat and Ramona bred and raised racehorses and always enjoyed going to the track. They were very supportive of local 4-H programs and the La Plata County Fair. Pat passed away in the spring of 2012 and Ramona still calls him the “greatest man on this earth.” Their love was strong and she will share some of her poetry about their life together. Ramona will be accompanied by her nephew, Marlon “Red” Greer, who will play the fiddle and sing some cowboy songs. |
AMY HALE AUKER ~ Western Writer's Workshop: The Question of Dragonflies |
|