30th annual gathering of cowboy poets set for mid-August
by Jim Buchanan, Gathering Chairman
The legends of the Old West live on today through tales told long ago around the campfire. Through written prose and spoken word, bringing that uniquely Western experience to life is the mission of the Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering. That’s why you won’t want to miss one of Prescott’s most popular events at Yavapai College Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m. August 10, 11 and 12.
More than 50 authentic cowboy poets and singers will perform for two days and three nights to share their heritage and the culture of the American Cowboy. Featured performers include Dave Stamey, Trinity Seely and Don Edwards. The theme for this year’s gathering is “A Long Way Home” and features a poster by artist George Molnar.
Cowboy poetry aficionado Dennis Gallagher said, “I’ve been coming to this event for years and the lineup just keeps getting better and better. It’s one of the things that make Prescott such a special place in the hearts of those who cherish our Western Heritage and its traditions.”
Dave Stamey has been a cowboy, a mule packer and a dude wrangler, and is now one of the most popular Western entertainers working today. He was voted six times Entertainer of the Year and Male Performer of the Year, and five times Songwriter of the Year by the Western Music Association. He also received the Will Rogers Award from the Academy of Western Artists.
Living on a working cattle ranch in Montana has given Trinity Seely a unique perspective about life as a cowgirl and ranch wife. She has received numerous awards and nominations including True West’s favorite Western artist and recently completed her third release, Cowboy’s Wage.
Hailing from Hico, Texas, Don Edwards was nominated for a Grammy for High Lonesome Cowboy and has been named the Western Music Association’s Male Performer of the Year five times and won Album of the Year twice. Two of his anthologies, Saddle Songs and Songs of the Cowboy, were placed in The Library of Congress.
As you can see, this year’s lineup is packed with talent. Attendees can enjoy free day sessions to meet several performers and hear their poems and music, or attend ticketed nighttime performances to enjoy stories and songs about the colorful culture and history that celebrates the true American Cowboy.
“It’s been an amazing 30 years, and it’s thanks to our hard-working volunteers who have dedicated their time to bring this event to Prescott for so many years,” said the Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering’s Board President Joe Konkel. “The culture of the real American Cowboy lives onstage here every year and it’s been an honor to bring this form of entertainment to locals and tourists alike.”
The Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering has maintained a standard that has been abandoned by most other gatherings – that of inviting men and women, who are now or have been in the past, a part of the working cowboy’s environment and workplace. It is respected by the cowboy poets as one of the best gatherings in the country because it helps maintain the true “working cowboy” culture and heritage. Discover more about this much anticipated Prescott event, visit www.azcowboypoets.org
