Bill Barwick's singing, songwriting and storytelling are a performance not to be missed! He's the winner of both the Western Music Association's "Male Performer of the Year" award, and, the Academy of Western Artists' Western music "Male Vocalist of the Year" award, where he has been a finalist for the "Entertainer of the Year" award, three-years-in-a-row. You might also recognize him as the spokesperson for Encore's "Westerns" television channel. A talented, and internationally recognized entertainer, Bill appears regularly at one of the West's best-known cowboy venues, Denver's historic Buckhorn Exchange. He's appeared at Silver Dollar City, in Branson, MI, as well as great cowboy gatherings across the country. He's also a returning guest at distinguished venues like the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, KS.
Born into a 6th generation of a family anchored to the West and raised in Utah, Singer/Songwriter Brenn Hill and his music revisit the many stories that come from the land with a fresh, contemporary and personal twist. He doesn't just sing about the American West, he reveals its heart to anyone who will take the time to listen. Home for the Hill's is Hooper, a rural community in Northern Utah where Brenn resides with his wife, three children and a cavvy of horses. "The foremost inspiration for my songs is people. My friends, my foes, my heroes - they are all sources of great inspiration for writing. I am fortunate to be a part of a genre and lifestyle that is people-oriented. I am able to call my fans my friends and vice-versa. They're full of rich life experiences and character that inspires me to dig deeper and deeper as a songwriter."
A multi-award winner in the world of cowboy poetry, Yvonne Hollenbeck performs throughout the United States, captivating audiences in her wake. She is one of the most published cowgirl poets in the West and is not only a popular banquet and civic entertainer, but also co-writes songs with many western entertainers. Yvonne's poetry reflects everyday experiences that arise while sharing the range with Glen and their neighbors. However, a fleeting moment or simple event may also stir her pen to action. Mostly humorous in nature, her poems take a turn toward the serious side, especially the stories of her mother's and grandmothers' lives. From homesteading to the present, Yvonne often writes about women on the ranches of the Great Plains.
Growing up on his Dad’s place in South Dakota, Chuck Larsen had ample opportunity to…"do it all" when it came to working livestock. He and his wife Linda now have a little place in the Upper North Platte River Valley near the town of Saratoga, WY, where they keep a string of good cow horses and pack mules. Chuck’s unique style of writing and performing his poetry will allow you to “visualize” his cowboyin’ experiences as he relates them. Chuck has been writing and performing his poetry since 1990, and has been featured at many Cowboy Gatherings around the country. Chuck’s poetry has the ability to make you roll in the aisle with laughter or bring a sentimental tear to your eye, as you hear, see and become part of his performance.
Cowboy Poet/Photographer Mike Logan's lifelong interest in ranch life has spurred him to capture his observations on film and in verse. Mike's insight and love of Montana and the West have won him national acclaim. He has been a featured poet and emcee at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, NV and other gatherings throughout the United States and Canada. He was a guest on John Denver's "Montana Christmas Skies" television special. Mike's book and video Montana Is... was chosen to represent Montana in the Library of Congress Bicentennial Celebration in May 2000. The Academy of Western Artists Awards presented Mike the Will Rogers Male Cowboy Poet of the Year award in 2006 at their awards ceremony at the Eiseman Center in Dallas (Richardson), TX.
Lyn Messersmith is a 3rd generation rancher in Cherry County, NE, a free lance writer, and purveyor of occasional western wit and wisdom. All of those occupations pay equally poorly, but she's seen a lot of good country and met some mighty fine folks on the path to the poorhouse. She met her husband in 1992, at the first Nebraska Cowboy Poetry Gathering, and considers him the finest of those mighty fine folks. Lyn's two books of poetry are Downwind from the Smoke (1994) and Ground Tied, which won a Will Rogers Medallion award from the Academy of Western Artists in 2004. Her latest book, My Sister Mariah, is daily readings concerning spiritual lessons gleaned from a lifetime on the land. Lyn is affiliated with the Nebraska and South Dakota Arts and Humanities Councils, and has performed in schools, parks, museums, a blacksmtih shop, and on the Elko stage.
Teresa Kay Orr grew up on the family’s century farmstead within the spokes of the Cedar/Dixon County line in Northeast Nebraska, which encompasses the “Outlaw Trail”. The rolling hills and winding roads were the landscape in which she worked by her father’s side rounding up the cattle on horseback and becoming a steward of the land on a Farmall and Fergie tractor. Her Father offered a valuable education through hard work and responsibility. Because of her mother’s musical influence, Teresa picked up the guitar and developed a true appreciation for many styles of music. As a songwriter, her original music stirs the heart with intimate songs of family, history, and love of country. However, Teresa’s flare for the 50’s, 60’s, and pop music is a very lively part of her show.
Gale Patzlaff was born in and has lived his entire life in the Fulton, SD area. He has always been a horse lover and still does as much of his cattle work as possible on horseback. His heroes were always cowboys. After winning a local radio contest at age 9, Gale met Gene Autry at the Corn Palace. This meeting only reinforced his appreciation of the "cowboy code." Gale inherited his mother's love of poetry, and so when he discovered cowboy poetry around 1985, he decided to give it a try. He has been reciting cowboy poetry at various events and gatherings throughout the Midwest since 1996. When he can find the time Gale also enjoys pencil sketching scenes of cowboy life. Along with his wife, Geri, they run a cow/calf operation.
A multiple award winning singer/songwriter, Jean Prescott hangs her hat just a little bit south of Abilene, TX, with her husband, singer/songwriter Gary Prescott. Jean’s music has been referred to as “the spiritual essence of the west” and she shares her love of western life through her songs about the real west of yesterday and today. The heart of her music, however, remains with the women of the west and their stories. Jean’s rich alto voice graces an interactive music exhibit at the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, TX, and she has been honored by the Texas State Legislature for her contribution to the preservation of Texas music and history. Jean is a recipient of the American Cowboy Culture Award for her preservation of the western way of life through song. Whether she graces a concert stage or an evening campfire, Jean Prescott's music goes straight to the heart and is always toe tappin' good!
Barry Ward is an accomplished singer and songwriter. As a 4th generation farmer and rancher originally from southwest Kansas, his music is a tribute to Western traditions and lifestyles. The inspirations for Barry’s songs come from his experience growing up in the heart of rural America, which he continues to live day by day on his ranch outside of Elbert, CO. In May 2003 at Carnegie Hall in New York City, Barry had the honor of being part of The Great American Cowboy in Concert. Barry won Male Vocalist of the Year in the Western Division of the Country Gospel Music Association and was one of the top three finalists for the Western Music Association's Male Performer of the Year. In 2009, his song Whispers of the West was nominated by the Academy of Western Artists for Song of the Year.