Waddie Mitchell - Buckaroo Poet

“I can’t ever remember ‘finding’ cowboy poetry, “ Waddie Mitchell says of the entertaining and enduring art of storytelling. “It was always there. The cowboys sure never called it poetry. I know I wouldn’t have liked it if they would have. Seems like an oxymoron, don’t it!?”

Read More >>

Don Edwards - Minstrel of the Range

Grammy nominated singer-guitarist Don Edwards continues to build a legacy that enriches our vision of the American West. In tales of the day-to-day lives and emotions of those who have lived it, his ballads paint a sweeping landscape of both mind and heart, keeping alive the sights, sounds and feelings of this most American contribution to culture and art. The quality of this cowboy balladeer’s music stems from the fact that he is so much more than a singer. Bobby Weaver of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City, summed up Edwards’ importance as “... the best purveyor of cowboy music in America today.”

Read More>>

Paul Zarzyski - Rodeo Poet

Paul Zarzyski, the recipient of the 2005 Governor’s Arts Award for Literature, has been spurring the words wild across the open range of the page and calling it Poetry for 35 years. In the early ‘70s, he heeded Horace Greeley’s go west young man, go west advice and received his Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from The University of Montana, where he studied with Richard Hugo. In the same breath, he took up a second lucrative vocation—bareback bronc riding—and rode the amateur, the ProRodeo, and Senior circuits into his early forties.

Read More>>

Lacy J Dalton - Cowboy Entertainer

She’s one of the most instantly recognizable voices in music – the woman People Magazine called “Country’s Bonnie Raitt”. From the first time Lacy J Dalton caught the public’s ear, that soulful delivery, full of texture and grit, has been a mainstay of Country Music.

Read More>>

Richard Elloyan - Cowboy Entertainer

Richard Elloyan is one happy guy! He’s just released his fourth CD “Back In Heaven.” Joining once again with his talented producer, Steven Swinford, they have created yet another compilation of lyrical and visually graphic stories of the modern West. Richard’s love for Nevada, songs of the land, and unrequited love are beautifully arranged and sung in the rich voice we have all come to love.

Richard began singing his western music and telling his stories at a home town open mic event in Dayton, Nevada back in 1997. Surprised by the reception of the crowd to the song “Carolina” (now on his “Big Nevada Sky” CD) Richard began performing and reciting the songs and stories he had been writing for the past thirty years. He hasn’t slowed down since. He’s a far cry from the teenager whose mother made him practice his guitar in the bathroom!

Dave Stamey - Cowboy Entertainer

Cowboys and Indians Magazine has called him “the Charley Russell of Western Music.” Dave Stamey has been a cowboy, a mule packer, a dude wrangler, and 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 fourteen states, and finds that he prefers this to being stomped by angry horses.

David John and The Comstock Cowboys

Music over the last several decades has changed so often, one can't be sure what's "IN" or "NOT IN" at any moment. David John and the Comstock Cowboy's choose not to travel that crowded highway where music is destined to change at the whim of each generation. Instead, these artists have built their sound on a more solid foundation. Their music is timeless and speaks to many generations. They perform original music, written by David John, as well as powerful songs about America, when our moral values were honest and strong. In their unique style, they sing about Cowboys, Horses, Soldiers, The West, and Nature at it's grandest.

Larry Maurice

Over the last few years, Larry has had to juggle his need to be on horseback with his busy entertainment schedule. A sought after entertainer, not only for his Cowboy Poetry that speaks from the heart of the day to day Cowboy, but also for his ability to breathe life into the history of the American West. He can also be found acting as an announcer or Master of Ceremonies for Rodeos, Parades, Mounted Shooting Competitions, Film Festivals or singing the National Anthem for the opening of a major sports event.

He is an exceptional after-dinner speaker and spends a great deal of time in schools around the country talking to children about the role the Cowboy has played and continues to play in the development of the west.

In July of 2000, Larry received the Academy of Western Artists coveted "Will Rogers Cowboy Award" for Cowboy Poet of the Year. His CD's have received great reviews and in 1996, 1998 and 2000 were nominated for "Album of the Year" by the Academy of Western Artists.

Sourdough Slim - Vaudeville Cowboy

Audiences step back in time with an authentic vaudeville style cowboy show in the Will Rogers tradition. Sourdough Slim is a veritable "one man Western extravaganza", crooning Western classics, playing accordion, guitar and harmonica, dancing a jig, twirling a lariat, dishing out hilarious comedic sketches and letting loose with award winning yippie-ti-yi-yodeling. A favorite entertainer at cowboy gatherings and county fairs around the country, he's also played the big time, wowing audiences at venues including Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center. This show promises a rollicking good time for audiences of all ages.

The Cross Town Cowboys

The Cross Town Cowboys are a trio of likeable guys who have as much fun on stage as their audience has watching them. These personable fellas live by and do their best to promote the honorable cowboy code of the Old West, as evidenced in their live performances and recorded music.

Dennis Golden

Dennis grew up in the remote California ranching community of Cedarville in the 40's and 50's. His thought provoking and often humorous original poetry on contemporary ranching also includes childhood remembrances of the authentic western heroes he met as a youth in Cedarville. He says, "My goal is to help audiences that haven't personally experienced the ranching lifestyle to better understand, primarily through wit and humor, the special challenges modem ranchers face today from urban encroachment to environmental and bureaucratic obstacles" .

Golden has teamed with singer/songwriter, "Texas" Tom Weatherby. Together they have created a unique and entertaining venue combining traditional western music, poems and jokes with an easy going banter that have made their shows increasingly popular in northern Nevada. Golden's other traditional talent, Dutch oven cooking, resulted in a five year appearance of the popular PBS weekly TV series "Outdoor Nevada", demonstrating the art of outdoor cast iron cooking.

"Texas" Tom Weatherby

Singer/Songwriter, Tom D. Weatherby was raised in Shamrock, Texas in a family with three generations of musical and ranching background. "Texas Tom" as he has become known since his relocation to Reno, Nevada in 1989, has recently returned to his cowboy roots combining traditional Western/Cowboy music with some oftoday's popular Western artists such as Tom Russell, Ian Tyson and Mike Beck. His latest work "The Call of the Range" is a collaboration with his father, HC "Prof' Weatherby, by adding music and a final verse to one of his Dad's poems. Another of his popular tunes (inspired in 1979 by his aunt Zula Harkins) chronicles his musical family from his grandfather "The Fiddler" to his brother "The Drummer". His Texas wit, along with "Range Poet" Dennis Golden humorous and thought provoking poems makes for lively and entertaining performances.

Old West Trio

From the first yodeling toe-tapper until the last lilting coyote chorus, the Old West Trio delivers uplifting cowboy and folk music to listeners of all ages. The trio, composed of Steve Ide, Leslie Ide, and Steve Johnson, is based in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. As lead guitarist Steve Johnson puts it, “Cowboy music is a history lesson with a melody.” To honor their Western heritage, the Old West Trio performs both traditional and contemporary songs that explore a variety of styles, including gunfighter ballads, western swing, classic Sons of the Pioneers, and lively yodeling tunes.

Tony Argento

Tony's Cowboy Poetry line up includes; humor, classic, rodeo, patriotic, gunfighters and drifters, novelty, gold rush, serious verse and much more. He performs as a Cowboy Poet, humorist, story teller and entertainer. In addition, he does Civil War recitations such as the; "Gettysburg Address" and others includin' the most famous letter from the Civil War.

Ron Scofield

Ron Scofield is well known for his dedication and commitment to keeping alive the old American West. He expresses all facets of the old west through his wagon and carriage building, art work, architecture, and of course his music. Ron is a self-taught guitarist and vocalist favoring the style of the early cowboy classics. His songs depict cattle drives, cowboy camps, chuck wagons, the pioneer experience, and anything that serves to keep the old west at the forefront in the minds of all within the sound of his voice.

For 13 years, Ron has entertained at and provided the setting for the Scofield's Cowboy Campfire music and cowboy poetry events at the Red Mule Ranch in Fiddletown. He has been included in the Rhymers Rodeer programs several times among other gatherings in Arizona, California, and Nevada.

Michael Edward O'Connell

Michael Edward O'Connell is a U.S. Army Veteran who served In Vietnam as a combat infantryman with the First Cavalry Division. He spent his last six weeks in Vietnam, after trading his rifle for a guitar, entertaining his brothers in arms as a singer / guitar player in a “Command Military Touring Show.”

As a California State Park Peace Officer Michael was very fortunate to work at several beautiful State Parks in Northern California during his twenty-two year career. A training assignment in Yosemite National Park for Mounted Horse Patrol galvanized his desire to expand his Cowboy Song research and repertoire. It also inspired his humorous song “Walt Castle’s Equestrian Academy.” As a Ranger Michael also performed campfire programs with songs and stories.

Vacation rides in Arizona, the state where Michael was born and raised, found him horseback riding the countryside by day and singing the songs of the American Cowboy around the campfire by night. This stimulated a magnetic force that drew him to this Great Country's Western Heritage.

“My Great Grandfather was a livestock inspector and a Captain in the Arizona Militia. He became a rancher with several ranches spread between Wickenburg and Phoenix. He played the Fiddle and Banjo for local barn dances. His life and poems inspired me to dig into my family's Western Heritage in music and history. A song titled “Grandpa Loved Old Arizona” is my Reader's Digest version of my Great Grandfather's life in Arizona.”

Ken Gardner

Ken frequents Bridgeport and Carson Valley in the Eastern Sierra. He writes and recites, often the lighter-sided Western verse. He has appeared in shows from Susanville to Temecula, Yerington to Grass Valley, and around the Washoe. Ken was invited to open for Baxter Black at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko in 2006 and was a reunion artist in 2009. His book, "Sleepin' in the Bunkhouse" (Buckeye Canyon Press, 2007) is a self-published anthology of his original poems. Ken is a member of the Genoa Festival's Program, Education and Steering Committees.

All Hat No Cattle

A unique duo that combines old western cowboy tunes from days of old with songs that have established themselves deep in Western history and distinctive originals. Fourth generation Nevadan, Krista Jenkins, comes from a twine of family business and rich Carson Valley ranching stock that can be heard in her expressive voice, whether she is crooning or yodeling.Natalie Nelson, shares her California heredity dipped in peach farming, cattle ranching and reined cow/horse tradition through her combined talents and back-up vocals.

John Tyson

John Tyson is a former buckaroo and rancher whose career as a brush country cowboy stretches more than 30 years. He is a retired peace officer, and Nevada State brand inspector with a passion for iron horses.  A qualified steam locomotive engineer on the Nevada Northern Railway, in Ely Nevada, John is the owner of an Amtrak certified private railcar. The car is a 1928 Canadian National Railway business car, called the Métis.

John lives in Virginia City with his wife Patty and their two dachshunds, Bessie and Buck.  He is currently on leave of absence from KOLO-TV while he runs for Sheriff of Storey County.

Connie & Ed Kretschmer

Ed and Connie have played together for years and have always promoting music, personally and professionally. Connie has sung at Carnegie Hall with the UNR symphonic choir, has headed up a performing arts organization in Winnemucca and is currently teaching music in Lyon County.  . Ed plays his bass with friends and relatives in Smoky Valley, at the Caltrans building in Oakland. Ed and Connie will play gigs anywhere.  Their kids also sing and play instruments. Middle daughter Jeanette is the fiddle player for the 8 Mile Band out of Homer, AK.

Jon & Betsy Elliott

Jon and Betsy Elliott enjoy playing, singing and writing Western Music. They live and work on a ranch that has been in Betsy’s family since 1861. In addition to ranching, Betsy also teaches dance and Jon works on building saddles and leather goods in his spare time. The Elliott’s have been performing for years and play a mix of traditional, contemporary and original music.

Cindy White

Cindy White was raised in the Reno-Sparks area, and moved to the Carson Valley in 2006. Proud of her northern Nevada upbringing, Cindy embraces and celebrates her western lifestyle through her poetry, music, and photographs. Sometimes humorous and other times moving, Cindy’s poetry and music reflect her way of life, adventures, experiences, and her deep belief in the morals and values that have long been associated with the western lifestyle. Over the years she has treasured her quarter horses, saddle mules, and herding dogs, and those emotions ring out clearly in her creative work.

Michael Connell

Worked for ranches in Arkansas, Colorado, and Nevada from 1989 to 1995. Attended Farrier School in 1992. Rodeo'd in The Arkansas area and surrounding states for two years riding bulls until a deployment to Desert Storm. Serves currently as an active duty Soldier in the Nevada Army National Guard. Also currently working as a weekend cowboy and part time farrier. Builds spurs and braids rawhide horse gear as hobbies. Lastly, a part time college student majoring in animal science through Kansas State University.

Don S. "Shoshu" Thompson

We all know about John Snowshoe Thompson, his mail and heroic adventures. But have you gone beyond that to speculate what the world would be without him? Or have you seen his activities in nearly true picture form? Or compared his route to your own physical activities?

That is the job of today’s presenter, Don S. Thompson, nicknamed Snoshu from his UNR ski team days.Today’s Snoshu is not related to the original but there is a strong connection that you will find out at the close…. the rest of the story.

McAvoy Layne

For twenty two years now, in over two thousand performances from Leningrad University in Russia to Piper’s Opera House in Virginia City, McAvoy Layne has been preeminent, in preserving the wit & wisdom of “The Wild Humorist of the Pacific Slope,” Mark Twain.

Says McAvoy, “It’s like being a Monday through Friday preacher, whose sermon, though not reverently pious, is fervently American.”

McAvoy is the ghost of Samuel Clemens in A&E’s biography of Mark Twain, and in the Discovery Channel’s Cronkite Award winning documentary, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He is a winner of the Nevada award for excellence in school and library service, and author of Becoming Mark Twain.

Donna & Dusty Hustace

Dusty and Donna Hustace have lived in Nevada for the past 33 years. After graduating from Cal Poly in the seventies they came back to the Great Basin, working on ranches throughout Mason, Smith and Bridgeport valleys.

Both of their children graduated from Smith Valley and went on to UNR. Jaime is now an Internal Medicine Large Animal Veterinarian in Smith Valley and Jeff is a C130 Pilot for the U.S. Coast Guard out of Sacramento.

The Hustace's have a brand new horse facility, Horsemanship Headquarters, in Smith, which boasts a covered arena, that Dusty built, great trail riding and lessons for kids and adults.

They enjoy horses and people and love to share the wide open spaces in this high desert we live in.

Sue Coleman

Sue Coleman is a respected elder of the Washo Nation. She was raised on the Dresslerville reservation, where she experienced the rich culture and tradition of the Washo people. Her mother, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers were all basket weavers. "Weaving almost died out in our tribe, and even today there are only a handful of traditional weavers left."

Sue learned the art of basket weaving from her mother, Theresa Smokey Jackson. She has been inspired by her ancestors, known for their beautiful baskets. "Baskets were extremely important to our people. She has approximately fifty 1st Place blue ribbons and many others for "best of show". Many museums and art shows across the nation are currently or have in the past exhibited her work. The Smithsonian Institute purchased one of her baskets for their collection in 2006 and it was displayed in their traveling exhibit.

In 2006 Sue was invited by the Smithsonian Institute to participate in the Folk life festival in Washington DC. This festival took place for two weeks where she demonstrated her weaving skills, displayed Washo baskets, and gave talks on the Washo Nation. Only the best of the native weavers in the nation were invited. This honor was the greatest experience of her weaving life so far.

She was the recipient of the Governor's Arts Award for Excellence in Folk Arts in 2002.

Sue continues to share her skills and knowledge of basketry throughout the US by teaching and demonstrating at schools, gatherings and museums.

Pat Cueller

Pat Crueller is a freelance writer, publisher of many booklets, consultant and the author of "Your Life in Print Story by Story."  She has taught writing and self publishing for 15 years through adult education and other venues in CA and NV.  She makes her home in Dayton, NV.

Chris Bayer

http://www.nevadamusic.com

http://www.youtube.com/user/cwbayer

Billie Rightmire

Billie Rightmire is a 4th generation Genoan. Because of her heritage, Billie has always been interested in history and, in particular, Genoa, Carson Valley and Douglas County history.  She has worked as a professional geneologiest for over thirty years with many interesting clients.  She thought that researching exhibit information for the Douglas County Historical Society was a pleasure and  much fun.  Billie has served as the official Genoa Historian since 1992.

Dick Clark

Richard Clark has had a lifetime of presenting, teaching and working with people.  This combined with years of historical research has culminated into the resurrection of arguably the most famous character of the old West.

Michael Curcio

Michael Curcio is an actor, artist and entertainer.  He has performed on A & E, PBS Television Station Channel 9 San Francisco and KDWN Radio Las Vegas, Nevada.  he played Pa in Calico, a Wild West musical written and produced by David John of the Comstock Cowboys.  Michael was one of the top ten guns in the Western Fast Draw Association in the late 60's and 70's.  He is a member of Duke's Hollywood Cowboys performing in Old Tucson Movie Studio's Tombstone AZ and at the Gold Hill Hotel in Virginia City,  Nevada for the passed 12 years. 

Wrangler Rich

Robert W. Ellison

Robert W. Ellison, a resident of Carson Valley, has spent almost 40 years putting together aspects of Nevada's history.  Both he and his wife, Marion, have written numerous newspaper and magazine articles as a result of their travels and research.  Ellison has had three books on Nevada history published. 

Ellison received his Bachelor's degree from Cal State at Fullerton, his Master's Degree from UNR and did doctoral work at Claremont Graduate School.  He has had a life long interest in many intellectual pursuits while working a variety of professions. 

Russ Murray

Russ started working with leather when he was 12 years old.  He still works with leather but has progressed into saddle making and that is about as advanced as you can get as far as he is concerned.  He has made quite a few saddles and they are all different, from ranch work saddles to cutting, reining, roping, trail and so forth.  Russ loves to build saddles with floral designs and learn a lot from one of the best and oldest saddle makers around.  " So I try to put my heart and soul into my work and hope you like it," explains Russ.