Bonnie and I arrived at the 1st annual "Wells Gray Round Up Camp" and we were excited and anticipating a really great weekend. In Canada the May 21st holiday weekend can be stinking hot, freezing cold, pouring rain or a mixture of all of the afore mentioned weather conditions. Unfortunately it appeared this weekend would be a washout with rain and high winds. Oh well, everyone involved decided to just cowboy up and grin and bear it - after all, the show must go on.
The "Wells Gray Round Up Camp" is a cowboy festival at the Wells Gray Guest Ranch featuring cowboy poetry, western music, good grub, horseback games and riding and all around good western hospitality. This, the first annual, featured the following artists:
Tammy Gislason (Alberta) with her yodeling western style. Last year in Texas Tammy was awarded The Academy of Western Artist's, Will Rogers Award for "RISING STAR OF THE YEAR". Tammy is a talented performer, singer/songwriter and actor. We have become friends over the last few years and I'm proud to say that she performs one of my songs "Holy Karumba" in her live show. (see photo on the right)
Lynn Shook (Vavenby B.C.) is a fantastic natural country singer. We've done a few gigs together over the last few years and I'm always impressed with Lynn's singing voice. Lynn and her husband Don have a large historic ranch just outside the town of Vavenby.
Matt Johnston from Clearwater B.C. is nominated in 2004 for "Rising Star Of The Year" as well as "Western Song Of The Year" at The Academy Of Western Artist's Will Rogers Awards. Besides being a talented singer/songwriter Matt works as a Ferrier in and around Kamloops and the Clearwater Valley. We've done quite a few gigs together recently and I can say Matt is a true country gentleman.
David J. Longworth (Merritt B.C.) is an actor in film and television, a cowboy poet and a rancher. Davy and his wife Tammy work about five hundred acres and run cattle and horses on the land. Davy and I have been friends for close to forty years and we share many experiences. We could both write pages of crazy stories about each other. (see photo on the right)
Mike Puhallo (Kamloops B.C.) is one of the hardest working poets in show business. Mike is a widely published cowboy poet and is one of the very few Cowboy Poets in the world to actually make a living from his cowboy poetry. He is the only cowboy poet to have his work read into the official record at a NASA launch and in the Canadian House of Commons
Hugh McLennan (Pinantan Lake B.C.) is a rancher, singer/songwriter, raconteur, cowboy poet and radio broadcaster. Hugh hosts the popular radio program "Spirit Of The West". Hugh's wife Billie wears some of the most beautiful hand made cowboy boots in the world.
Jim Reader (Alberta) is a western/folk singer/songwriter with unique songs about ranch, farm and rural life, the land and the stock - wholesome songs of things we can still be proud of and feel good about in today's troubled world.
Bud Webb and Ray Goguen (Lake Errock B.C.) are longtime country performers. Bud Webb is a member of the B.C. Country Music Hall of Fame who has performed for countless thousands of people throughout his extensive career and continues to entertain with his side kick and great guitar player, Ray.
And last but not least, yours truly of course.
The outdoor venue was a fantastic hay barn decked out to the nines with a large stage at one end. Keep in mind this is all taking place in the amazing mountains of British Columbia, Canada. The horses are running free through the fields, the black bears are on the perimeter grazing on the fresh Spring grass and the deer are plentiful along the roadside. The entertainment ran Saturday and Sunday from noon until 7p.m. and then after dinner we all moved inside the Black Horse Saloon and picked and grinned far into the night. The only disappointment of the weekend was the extremely cold and rainy weather because it kept people from attending in big numbers. The organizer Mike Mueller just kept smiling and saying "You always have to have the first annual. I see these fields filled with campers and people in just a very few years". That's the cowboy Spirit!!!
After the festival was officially closed it was back to work for the folks at the ranch. Bonnie and I were really amused as Mike and four cowboys on horseback and wearing masks bailed up a tour bus full of German tourists on the main road between Wells Grey and Clearwater in a mock hold up. They took a 'hostage' who rode on horseback as the bus was escorted by the bandits to the Black Horse Saloon. The tourists took turns having their photographs taken with the outlaws and their horses before being fed with giant barbequed steaks and beer. Matt Johnston, bass player Frank Galbraith and I entertained with country music for a several hours before loading up the bus and sending them happily on their way. The tourists kept telling Bonnie they thought I looked just like Buffalo Bill. They love the western life and were sad to leave.
See you all next year!!!!!
