Cowboy Jim Garling

Amarillo, Texas - January 07

2007-01-23T11:21:00.000-08:00

Well, we had a great time in Amarillo, Tx, at the Panhandle Bluegrass & Old-tyme Music Association Winter Festival at the Fifth Season Inn. Saw lots of old friends from Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma and met new folks as well. On Saturday as we were playing and singing, Amarillo was receiving a record snowfall amount. By the time the snow stopped falling it amounted to 8 ½ inches—the most snow recorded in a 24-hr. period in Amarillo.
On Sunday we called ahead and found out that Oklahoma had been spared the large amount of snow that had been forecast there, so we started out with that in mind. Driving anywhere from 25 to 35 miles an hour and because of a couple of accidents in which traffic came to a complete standstill for over 20 to 30 minutes each, it took us 4 hours to go from Amarillo to Shamrock, Texas, but shortly after Shamrock the roads became mostly dry. SO we boogied on home to our little cabin in the woods!

Heaven-sent News

2006-12-29T18:27:00.000-08:00

WELCOME to Henry Byron Burgess the newest member of the Sons of the Sage family. Band member and proud poppa, Greg Burgess and his wife, Lynn, welcomed "Hank" on December 25, a little earlier than was expected. But Hank weighed a very healthy 7 lbs. 5 oz. and was 19.5 inches long. Mom and baby are both doing well.

Another Great Saturday!

2006-12-20T18:50:00.000-08:00

Saturday was another busy day almost identical to the 9th. Sons of the Sage performed again at the western wear stores at the Stockyards in Oklahoma City.

Sons of the Sage will play again at the stores at the Stockyards one more Saturday--December 23. So if you haven’t selected your western wear for Christmas, come on down, enjoy the entertainment, and get your last minute gifts.

Later in the evening Doris and I were able to enjoy the final Victorian Walk of the season in Guthrie (I didn't have a performance on this Saturday night). News Channel 9 estimated the crowd at 1,000 to 1,500 people for the event. The weather was perfect for December; I would say temperature in the mid-60s. The season was merry and bright; we visited with many friends on the streets, and it really felt like community at its best.

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

2006-12-13T11:41:00.000-08:00

Last night, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City had a great open House called “A Night Before Christmas.” There were lots of activities and entertainment for all ages and was enjoyed by all. I played and sang outside the front entrance for about 30 minutes at the beginning of the activities; then I performed on a stage located next to the “Canyon Princess” (mountain lion sculpture). On this stage, in addition to my western cowboy songs, I included folks in some sing-a-long songs like Home on the Range, White Christmas, Rudolph, etc. People really participated, and it made it very fun for me. Then the rest of the evening I strolled through the galleries singing and playing.

OKC Stockyards & Victorian Walk, Guthrie

2006-12-11T10:05:00.000-08:00

The Sons of the Sage made up of myself, Greg Burgess, and Richard Sharp, performed Saturday at the Stockyards, Oklahoma City, first in Langston’s Western Wear in the morning and in the afternoon at Little Joe’s Boots—both fine western wear establishments.

Then later in the day I participated in the Victorian Walk in the historic downtown of Guthrie, Oklahoma. Ginny at Bright Side Trading Company asked me to sing cowboy western music in her store window. Bright Side features western and Native American Art, southwest accessories, vintage pottery, stained glass, Pendleton goods and much more. So her shop was a fitting location for my type of music, and I met lots of visitors to Guthrie as well as residents.

The Victorian Walk is a step back in time with carolers and peanut vendors along the street, carriage rides, living Christmas scenes in many of the shop windows, and free refreshments offered in some establishments. The State Capital Publishing Museum also features a historic Christmas Tree collection and serves wassail. The Byron Berline band also has a show at the Double Stop Music Hall 8 p.m.

If you haven’t participated in a Victorian Walk, another walk is scheduled next Saturday starting at 5:00 until 9:00 p.m. It is a festive, joyous celebration of an old-fashioned Christmas that will ensure that you have a MERRY CHRISTMAS.

Holiday Open House, Bethany Public Library

2006-12-07T11:45:00.000-08:00

Today I received a note from Jerry, a man who heard my performance of cowboy music at the Bethany Public Library. He says: "My son and I enjoyed your songs last Saturday at the Bethany Library. We just don't hear good songs like that anymore. [emphasis mine] Thanks for keeping these songs alive..."
These comments just reinforce why I like doing cowboy western music and will continue.

Winter Wonderland

2006-12-02T07:21:00.000-08:00

Snow piled everywhere, up and down the middle of the streets, on the sides of the roads but luckily not on the sidewalks. That is what greeted us in Ponca City as we approached the Ponca Townsite Restaurant. However, it was warm and cozy in the restaurant, and there were wonderful choices of food, food, and more food overseen by owner Tony Radka.

Because of the weather, the crowd was small but friendly. A few folks came to eat and then headed for a special show at the Ponca Theater. Our friends who live in Ponca City Les & Martha Gilliam and Don & Fern Long came and enjoyed the good food and encouraged me in my performance. After the first set and the break we sat and visited.

Then Janet Gary, who made it possible for me to do the show at the restaurant, and I sang a few numbers together. She has a beautiful, classically trained voice; she decided maybe cowboy music was not her calling. But we had a good time. We are hoping that the next time we are invited to the Ponca Townsite it will not have snowed 10” or 12” on the day before. April or May sounds good!

Lost Bid for 2007 Territorial Governor

2006-11-30T13:58:00.000-08:00

The campaign for Territorial Governor was over on Friday, November 25. Unfornately I didn't make the cut, but a good, hometown man won--Dennis Ochs.
On Saturday night, as a candidate I got to ride in the Opening Night Parade (for the Christmas season) along with my wife in the very first car. It was the first parade either of us had riden in, and the weather was perfect. The parade ended at the post office corner where the final announcement was made about the winner. Dennis was not present to accept the governorship that evening; he was at the Guthrie Bluejays football game (playoffs). But I'm sure he'll make future parades, since that's the only official duty of a Territorial Governor these days.
The race was a good one in that it brought in over $3,000 for the Chamber of Commerce to be used for advertising the many Christmas events that will take place in Guthrie.
I was delighted that I garnered 1,200 votes, and I believe my campaign raised awareness in the town about the purpose of the Territorial Governor race and what it will mean in bringing people to visit Guthrie.

WMA (Western Music Association) Meeting

2006-11-20T14:36:00.000-08:00

Pic 1 - Jim - standing; seated - Bill Barwick, Jeanne Cahill, Judy Coder

Pic 2 - Musicians - Judy Coder, Stan Tichenor, Phil Thompson, Tim Johnson (fiddler for Sons of the San Joaquin)

Tuesday of last week I traveled from Oklahoma to Albuquerque, New Mexico, for the Western Music Association’s (WMA) annual meeting. What a great program. Besides the incredible entertainment offered by WMA members, my wife and I enjoyed meeting many new people—musicians as well as music lovers and listeners. And it seems the most enjoyable for me was the jamming with incredibly talented musicians after the planned events of the day were over. Our jamming groups were made up of friends we’ve met at other festivals and events as well as our new-found friends from all over the United States.

On Wednesday I attended an all-day song writers workshop put on by some of the biggest names in the western music genre—Dave Stamey, Curly Musgrave, Juni Fisher, Donnie Blandz. I enjoyed meeting these folks and highly benefited from their helpful instruction and encouragement.

Certainly, if you love western/cowboy music, then Albuquerque is the place to be for their annual meeting in November.

Guest of Guthrie's Lions Club

2006-11-03T15:42:00.000-08:00

On the campaign trail again---I was pleased to have been asked to come speak a few words about my campaign at the Lions Club luncheon today and sing a few songs. The club members were gracious enough to put several votes (dollars) in the ballot box. Thank you.
The Lions have several community projects underway. One of which is providing shoes for Christmas for the young men at the Boys Homes in Oklahoma.

A Little Publicity for Territorial Governor

2006-11-02T14:23:00.000-08:00

While my mini concerts at the local businesses did not have huge audiences, it did garner me a nice write up on the front page of the Sunday Guthrie News Leader. For my campaign, I appreciate all the help I can get. And, after all, the main goal is to increase awareness of the campaign and to raise money to promote the upcoming Christmas celebrations in addition to the Centennial celebrations of the coming year. Thanks to all who are a part of that!

Campaign Jingle

2006-10-27T09:25:00.000-07:00

Today I am doing 2 mini concerts at local Guthrie businesses for fund raising. I've just completed a new campaign jingle:

Elect me your governor, make me your man.
You'll never regret you took this firm stand.
I'll spread the word far and wide--
Guthrie's the place to play and reside.

Territorial Governor 2007, Guthrie, Oklahoma

2006-10-12T19:51:00.000-07:00

As of yesterday, I am running for Territorial Governor in Guthrie on the platform of being an ambassador of Guthrie with the slogan, “Taking Guthrie to the nation to bring the nation to Guthrie.” Since I travel to many locations throughout Oklahoma and the United States to perform at music venues, this seemed like the perfect slogan in promoting Guthrie. The Territorial Governor race was kicked off at the Chamber of Commerce Coffee with the introduction of three candidates.

The whole objective of the campaign for Territorial Governor is to raise money for the Chamber to advertise the Christmas festivities to bring tourists to Guthrie. Each candidate is given ballots and a ballot box (actually a can) by the Chamber to collect votes. They are also placing “ballot cans” in various businesses throughout Guthrie. People can vote by paying $1.00 per vote and putting the money in the “ballot can” and they can vote more than once or pay for as many votes as they want. (Yes, you can stuff the ballot box.) So if you come to Guthrie, be sure to look me up so you can vote, or visit a local business and put your ballot (or ballots) in the cans there.

There are no “official” duties of this office, but it is a fun way to raise funds for the city. If elected, what a great year to have the title of Territorial Governor during the Centennial of Oklahoma’s Statehood.

10th Annual OIBF, Guthrie, Oklahoma

2006-10-09T11:27:00.000-07:00

Friday of the festival I had three more helpers (fiddlers) at the children's tent--Jo Sands from Perry, OK; Stephanie Banta from Yukon, OK; and Emma Pendleton from Tulsa, OK. They did a fabulous job with their outstanding fiddling abilities. We're hoping that some of the children who came to listen will be inspired by these young role models to become involved in fiddling (or other instruments) and music.

On Saturday several of the winners of the 2006 scholarships through the Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival (OIBF) were at the festival to perform before the audience. It gave the winners a great opportunity to perform to a fairly large audience, and their performances allowed the audience to see how their money and donations help these students. The students can use their scholarships for private music lessons or for music camps. I was privileged to MC this event. Some of these young people have been my students and have won scholarships in previous years which have helped them improve their skills.

During the festival there were two auctions that raised additional money to be awarded to students in coming year. To find out more about this program log onto: http://OIBF.com

10th Annual Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival, Guthrie, OK

2006-10-07T08:39:00.000-07:00

Jim had a helper in the children's tent on Thursday of the festival--Miss Chelsea Beck, who yodels and sings western/cowboy music--extraordinarily, I might add. Chelsea is from Kingfisher, Oklahoma.

On this day rotating through the children's tent were two groups, one group of third grade children from a local school and a group of 3- and 4-year-olds. Jim and Chelsea told them a little bit about instruments (guitars & voices) and about cowboy music. Then all participated in singing, clapping, and a little yodeling. Chelsea was an excellent yodel teacher.

At one point, in the smaller groups, Jim and Chelsea gave the little "buckaroos" and "buckarettes" an opportunity to strum the guitars, and then the children were off to participate in making crafts that the OIBF volunteers had laid out for them to do.

I think the children enjoyed the program, the crafts, and last but not least, the opportunity to be out of school for a field trip!

Gene Autry Film & Music Festival, Gene Autry, Oklahoma

2006-10-03T06:54:00.000-07:00

Every year on the weekend closest to Gene Autry’s birthday of September 29, the Gene Autry Museum in Gene Autry, Oklahoma, puts on the Gene Autry Film & Music Festival featuring cowboy movies, live music, celebrity panels, autographs, memorabilia vendors, comedy and cowboy poetry. There are two stages with non-stop performances during the day beginning at 11:00 a.m.. The main stage continues on into the evening hours rounding out the day with as much music as you could want. Not only does this festival provide great entertainment for the public but it also generates funds to keep the museum running throughout the year.

This year I met people from the audience and entertainers who were from numerous states—Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, California, New Mexico, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Iowa, Arkansas.
I was fortunate to have a nice spot on the Saturday evening show, and as part of my set, I sang the song “A Cowboy’s Life” which I wrote. It seemed to be well received by the audience. Earlier in the day I sang another song I wrote, called “Up the Draw” as a tribute to Bruce Dillman who passed away in August. For those of you who do not know Bruce, he was the administrator of all that was happening at the festival in terms of preparation of the written program, ticket sales, recruiting and scheduling of entertainers. We miss him tremendously.

Western Heritage Weekend, Tom Mix Festival

2006-09-25T15:04:00.000-07:00

The town of Dewey, Oklahoma, put on a fine western celebration this weekend featuring a
parade, western music entertainers, look-a-likes (Pawnee Bill, Tom Mix, etc.), trick ropers, and a gunfight reenactment. It was truly a fun-filled day.

KG & the Ranger are western entertainers that I first met at the Gene Autry Oklahoma Film & Music Festival. They were part of the parade and later entertained the crowd with their western music, yodeling, and harmony singing. In the parade KG drove a unique, one-passenger covered wagon pulled by an armadillo—very unique and clever. The Ranger (standing very tall, indeed) walked alongside wagon displaying his unique trick rope-spinning with his lariat.

The music performances were done on a flatbed trailer in front of the turn-of-the-century hotel/museum and I’m sorry I don’t have the exact name for it. You can see a glimpse of it in the background of the picture of KG & the Ranger. The day could not have been more perfect. There was a pleasant breeze with clouds coming and going just enough to keep the temperature mild. Perfect for an outdoor performance. I also did a little impromptu concert at the Tom Mix Museum for the staff and museum goers.

Back in July my wife drove to Dewey to see the Tom Mix museum, and that’s where we learned about the Western Heritage Weekend and Tom Mix Festival. We certainly enjoyed the visit; it is an excellent museum. And so, hopefully, I’ll get invited back next year, and we’ll have an opportunity to visit the historic hotel and get educated about it.

Cheyenne, Wyoming

2006-09-12T08:06:00.000-07:00

The Cheyenne Cowboy Symposium in Wyoming is held annually on Labor Day weekend. It was held in the Holiday Inn in Cheyenne, Wyoming. This year I was fortunate enough to be on the program along with Dennis (on bass) and Sally Gilstrap. We formed the trio “Prairie Moon.” There were five different stages going at any given time. So it was a busy place. On Friday evening “Prairie Moon” was the “Featured Entertainment” for the evening show on the main stage. We felt extremely honored to be selected for that spot.

During the entire weekend I was also fortunate enough to be asked to play backup guitar with other entertainers. Chelsea Beck is a young up and coming entertainer. She has a dynamic, strong voice which allows her to do an outstanding job of yodeling and singing. She has been playing guitar for about a year and a half. We are excited that this young lady is embracing this style of western music, hopefully, encouraging others to do the same.

The picture shows Janet McBride, Chelsea Beck, and Jim Garling. In the background on bass is Dennis Gilstrap and Lowell Lydic is playing harmonica. Janet McBride is known in the western music industry as the “Yodeling Queen” having won many, many awards for her work. She is also a wonderful teacher and mentor for many outstanding talents. This picture shows her performing with Chelsea who she taught to yodel.
Our friend, Lowell, is also a special friend and encourager to me. He organizes the Cedar Depot Memorial Celebration which I mentioned in my earlier post.

A Fine Trip

2006-09-09T18:32:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of a recent trip to Cheyenne, Wyoming, my wife and I stopped overnight at the city of Cedar, Kansas, population 16. Now that seems like a small, insignificant location; however, every year on Memorial Day in May, the city throws a mighty fine festival called the Cedar Depot Memorial Celebration bringing in two to three hundred folks to enjoy fine country/western family entertainment.

Now, Cedar likes to party because they called a town party to celebrate us stopping overnight there. They posted notices in the surrounding towns about me performing there along with Jessica Rae, a talented young singer, at the Memorial Gazebo. The Cedar Connection, a newly formed band, made up of a quartet of town folks also performed songs from their recent CD. The residents of Cedar served up hotdogs with all the fixings, and we shared a large Black Diamond watermelon from Oklahoma. Approximately 40 or 50 people turned out to enjoy the fun.

I’ll post more about the trip in the days ahead.

A new entry

2006-08-09T10:58:00.000-07:00

Sang a little music at a nursing home today. The folks seemed to really enjoy the cowboy songs particularly the old standards--Home on the Range, Red River Valley, Ghost Riders.

2006-08-09T10:26:00.000-07:00

A picture taken near Platoro in southern Colorado. The cowboys are herding the cattle up the Conejos River Valley on National Forest lands for the summer.

We are in this area nearly every summer and knew that cattle were taken up for grazing near the Continental Divide, but this year we were fortunate enough to see the cattle being herded up.

2006-08-08T08:51:00.000-07:00

Jim Garling has made a quick study of the music of the cowboy era, the western movies, and music of present-day artists that reflect the cowboy's way of life. Audiences young and old enjoy Jim's rich, melodious voice, his remarkable gutiar skills, and the short histories or interesting anecedotes he often tells about the songs he sings.