OCT. 1, 2020-The song "FLY," reached #2 on the NumberOneMusic.com chart, this is the song I originally sent to NumberOneMusic.com as WHIPPOORWILL, which went #1 and stayed there for 5 weeks. Since then the 2 versions of the same song have been chasing each other up and down the charts.They have both been as high as #2 since I sent FLY there, at one time or another. Today FLY is #4 and WHIPPOORWILL is #11 on the Acoustic chart.
Dec. 28,2019- I went to Berthoud today where I met Butch Hause owner, producer and engineer at THE RANGER STATION recording studio. Josiah Nelson, GREAT fiddler met us there and we re-recorded Whippoorwill, as FLY, which is the true name of the song. Josiah laid down 2 tracks one with the bow, the other pizzicato, Butch did a wonderful bass track and I re-did the guitar, ukulele and vocals. I think it is a better rendition. I will be posting it. I may send it out as a single then, If I can, add it to my new CD which will then also be called FLY,
Dec. 2, 2019 .I have a #1 song. I sent my song "Whippoorwill" to NumberOne Music.com and it has been the #1 song for over 5 weeks with 1000's of hits. It will be on my new CD which is nearly done. I re-named the song "FLY."
I am really tickled with the song that I wrote many years ago, which I very seldom sang. I initially called it whippoorwill and that is the name it I used for copyright. I recorded in my music/computer room with ukulele, my grandmothers guitar, which is over a hundred years old and my Gibson guitar on my 6 track recorder. I liked how it turned out and it will be on my new CD which is nearly finished. I like to say I wrote it, but it came to me while I was sleeping and it woke me up from a sound sleep. I got up and wrote it down as fast as I could. I have changed a bit of the chorus to make it "finish" better. I'm thinking about making it a single and putting it out as an mp3.
I was invited to the Sierra Vista Gathering again this year. It is so nice to attend these gatherings when you ket to stay with a local family. Last year I stayed with Mark and Bettye, this year with Lynne and Jack Ainsworth. I spent the first day doing a couple of shows for one of the local schools. While there, I did an unscientific poll by asking several people who live in the area, some were simply attending the gathering as audience, a couple lived out of the city. Some I didn't ask where they lived. My question was simply: Do you think we need a wall at our southern border. Every one that I asked said Yes.
I attended the annual convention and awards show for what is now known as the INTERNATIONAL WESTERN MUSIC ASSOCIATION, in Albuquerque, NM, in November, 2018. It was the usual good time that also offers many clinics. I hosted one on for the Western Wordsmiths Chapter. There were workshops on song writing, short story writing and many others . I attended one , also sponsored by the Western Wordsmiths and hosted by Sam Deleeuw. There are several contests: harmony singing, harmony yodeling, some for adults, others for those under 18. The yodeling contest is divided by gender and age. In 2003, the first year I was aware of the IWMA, the event was held in Kansas and I won the Male Championship, I won it again in 2010 and this year, 2018 as well. That turns out to average a win every 7 1/2 years. Catherine and I figure winning it three times is about enough, but I'm thinking I might try to keep the string going and compete again in 2025. I'll only be 82, so should be able to take a shot at it.
NEWS FROM 2017
We made it back from Albuquerque safe and sound after a short trip to Phoenix to visit some friends the we went on to the Grand Canyon, which is as grand as they say. We headed home from there and ran into snow just North of Mesa. The road was bare for a ways, then dry, then snow flurries, and that kept up for quite a while. Before we got to Vail we started noticing signs along the highway said chains were required over Vail Pass. When we got there, Vail Pass was closed. We waited a couple of hours and heard it was open, but by the time we got in line it was closed again. We waited in a covered parking area for another hour when the road was opened again. Catherine was driving. The road wasn't terrible, but the drivers were and there were a few trucks whose drivers decided they didn't need chains and were stuck in various positions along the road. When we got to the bottom, I nearly had to pry Catherine's hands off the steering wheel with a tire iron. The road from there to Eisenhower tunnel were snow packed and when we got through the tunnel the roads got progressively better.
We initially figured we would be home by 6:00 or 6:30, but it was midnight before we made it, but make it we did.
I'm still working on GHOST BEAR, The Trail(#2), but having a difficult time. I hope that means it will be especially good by the time it's done.
I finally rejoined the Western Writers of America. I joined in June initially, but the paper work got lost. Candy Moulton and Rochelle (Rocky) Gibbons went out of their way to get it straightened up.