Soul of the West

SPOTLIGHT a powerful message for the youth of today, Steagall says. He still gets choked up when he talks about one of the entries in the first year of his Cowboy Gathering’s Youth Poetry Contest. The Real Deal “One I’ll never forget was from a young black girl who entered that first year,” he says. “Now, she didn’t know anything about “Red Steagall is Texas Cow Country to the bone — and proud of it.” cowboys, but she wanted to go to college. So she researched — Don Hedgpeth Soul Of all the black cowboys — a part of her heritage she had never considered.” Steagall pauses, as if remembering every word of ed Steagall’s many contributions to preserving and inspiring the Western way of life span more than 35 C I her poem. “The poem she wrote was how proud she was of all R years of accomplishments and honors that, considered O N the black cowboys. It was so well written — it was the most W D together, can make your head spin. Since 1991 he has represented B I amazing thing you ever heard. We’re very proud of how Soul of the state of Texas as the Official Cowboy Poet of Texas, and in O The West A the West brings our diverse Western heritage to life for all of our Y N young people.” 2006 he was also awarded the prestigious title of Poet Laureate S AN HISTORICAL MUSICAL DRAMA BRINGS S of the State of Texas, making him the first “cowboy poet” to be THE WORLD OF CHARLES GOODNIGHT TO LIFE. TEAGALL AND HIS CO-AUTHORS REACHED named the poet laureate of his state. deep into the pages of Western history to find He has written more than 200 songs and recorded many of S stories and circumstances reflecting the values, character, and lifestyle of the West. As the spirits enter one by one, the audience becomes acquainted with historic figures through dialogue and song. In developing these characters, Steagall says he drew on a lifetime of study, By Melinda Kaitcer an inborn fascination with the people and the places of the cow country — Goodnight’s country — of West Texas, the Oklahoma Panhandle, and Southeast Colorado. Crossing N THE FALL OF 2004 AND 2005 chiefs,” he says. “I can see in you the same love I hold for paths a time or two with the characters of Larry McMurtry’s Soul of the West — an historical musical this land.” Lonesome Dove, Soul of the West centers more on Goodnight’s drama by Red Steagall, Andy Wilkinson, The Cowboy Heritage Association of Fort Worth will relationships—and how some of the pivotal roles he I and Anne Lockhart — played to sold- again bring Soul of the West to the Pioneer Amphitheater at played issued the gold standard for diversity training. In out audiences at Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Palo Duro Canyon south of Amarillo, Texas, on Saturday, examining these relationships and events today through the Texas, and was the talk of the town. But nothing could August 25. All proceeds from ticket sales go toward funding lens of one the West’s most eloquent storytellers, Soul of the have prepared the 2006 audience for the mystical journey scholarships for children of working ranch families. West provides fundamental truth, a spark of encouragement, it would take as eyewit- Providing financial and a tangible toehold for the future. nesses to Colonel Charles support for the youth Soul of the West is peppered with what Steagall describes as Goodnight’s campfire of the West is nothing lessons in “common decency and respect for everybody you them himself; his songs have landed squarely on the national conversation in the actual new for Red Steagall, come into contact with.” In a Western agricultural society, he charts 26 consecutive times. His syndicated Cowboy Corner setting of this legendary the 2006 Poet Laureate says, “people had to depend on each other for survival. White radio show is carried on 170 stations in 43 states, and his annual tale: the breathtaking of Texas. During the and black, brown and red; men, women, and children — it Cowboy Gathering in the Fort Worth Stockyards each October beauty of Palo Duro past 17 years, Steagall took all of us to build this great nation.” Steagall pauses for has shared and celebrated the Western way of life with thousands Canyon State Park. and his teammates have emphasis. “And it will take all of us, working together, to keep of visitors each year since its beginning in 1991. “Palo Duro is a mysti- distributed a com bined it alive and healthy for future generations.” In recognition of his many important contributions, Steagall cal place,” the ghost of total of more than After the Civil War, Steagall says, cattle were wild, was inducted to the Texas Trail of Fame in 1999, the Hall Charlie Goodnight says $250,000 in scholar- populating the countryside like deer. There was no market of Great Westerners at the National Cowboy and Western in the play, “a place for ships. “With the Soul of for them—including hide and tallow they were worth maybe Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City in 2003, and the Texas spirits, a place for poems the West proceeds,” he a dollar or two per head. Everything changed when a former Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2004. Last year he was the recipient and a place for songs.” says, “our main focus Civil War colonel built some stockyards in Abilene, Kansas, at of the 2006 Charles Goodnight Award, presented annually to Well-known actor, horse- is to give young people the terminus of the railroad. The Texans were invited to drive recognize outstanding contributions to the preservation of our man, and cattleman Barry Corbin brought the character of the opportunity to further their education. For those their wild cattle north, where they were loaded on rail cars and Western heritage. Steagall considers the award one of his highest Charles Goodnight to life as a spirit revisiting the land and with a natural aptitude for operating a ranch, we shipped to processing plants in the East. honors — “Charlie Goodnight has always been my hero,” he says. “I am the luckiest guy in the world,” Steagall says of his career. the people he revered. provide assistance to the Texas Christian University Ranch DYKSTRA/WWW.FOCUSEDIMAGES.COM LYNN “Trailing cattle was very difficult then,” Steagall says. “A few Later, the character of Quanah Parker (played by Michael Management Program in order to give those students the were attempting it, but the trails weren’t marked and they had “I get to write about the thing I love most.” Horse) concurs. “The cattleman and Comanche made their tools to operate the business end of a working ranch.” no idea of what vegetation or water would be available — or —M.K. own peace in Palo Duro Canyon where they counciled as The stories of the West’s oft-unsung eth nic heroes hold what kind of terrain they would have to cross — until they got PHOTOGRAPHY: PHOTOGRAPHY: 168 JULY 2007 COWBOYS & INDIANS 169 Women were “the cement that held the West together.” The poignant story of Frenchie McCormick, featuring Anne Lockhart, is indicative of the dedication and strength typical of women of that time period. “The cattlemen and Comanche make their own peace in Palo Duro Canyon where they counciled as chiefs.” there.” But they all soon discovered that taking cattle through the natural roads of Texas, later known as the Chisholm or In addition to Steagall’s original poetry and music, the songs Eastern Trail, gave them almost nothing but prairie to deal and folk traditions of the old world are expertly presented in with, especially once they crossed the Red River. With much Soul of the West by America’s premier cowboy balladeer, Don easier traveling, the cattle industry was born. It is estimated Edwards. He is accompanied by the artistry of musicians that between about 1875 and 1890, about six million head of Danny Steagall, Richard E. O’Brien, Steve Solomon, and cattle went up the Chisholm Trail and eight million went up Jimmy Don Pack. Trudy Fair, Richard Privitt, Junior Vasquez, the Western trail, just west of Fort Worth. And that $2 steer and Brian Griffin round out the star-studded cast. from South Texas brought $20 to $30, depending on demand, at the Kansas railheads. Melinda Kaitcer (www.melindakaitcer.com) is a freelance writer based in Driving these cattle were all kinds of cowboys. Historical Fort Worth, Texas. statistics reveal that about one-third of the early cowboys were of black, Hispanic, or Native American descent. Steagall says that many of the earliest cowboys were Celtic. These Scotch, English, and Irish settlers were natural herdsmen. They came Soul Of The West to Texas from the eastern part of America, or from the old oul of the West will take the stage this year in the Pioneer country, as representatives of British financiers. In fact, it was Amphitheater at Palo Duro Canyon on August 25 at 8 the Celts’ recitations of Old World poetry and song that gave S p.m. under the direction of noted playwright, singer, root to Western music. These campfire stories, the music and and songwriter Andy Wilkinson. The cast includes Red Steagall, the poetry of the West, became a soul-deep recitation of the Barry Corbin, Anne Lockhart, Alex Cord, Buck Taylor, and early working cowboy’s life, his character, and his values. Michael Horse. For more information or to order tickets, visit “They entertained themselves vocally, mostly a cappella, www.cowboyheritage.org.

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