International Western Music Association - Columbia chapter

AspenBlackCowgirl.com
Aspen Black is a singer/songwriter, cowgirl poet, multi-instrumentalist, educator, author, artist, and nationally-awarded horse woman. Her voice has been described by fans as “mesmerizing”, “easy to listen to”, and “captivating”. Aspen’s Eastern Western Cowgirl CD won the 2015 Rural Roots Music Commission Female Country-Western CD of the Year, she is a 2016 Top-Five nominee and 2015 Top-Five finalist for WMA Female Poet of the Year, a 2016 Top-Five nominee and 2015 Top-Five finalist for WMA Cowboy Poetry CD of the Year, a 2016 Top-Five nominee for WMA Poetry Book of the Year, and 2016 first place winner in the singing contest, 2nd in the songwriting contest, at the National Traditional Country Music Association Festival in LeMars, IA. Aspen tours, nationally, giving concerts, workshops, and interactive programs for children – senior adults.

Cowboy Poet "Ned Bodie"  (nedbodie@yahoo.com)
Ned's journey to being a Cowboy Poet started when he was a little boy in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, where he was born as Robin Freerks. His family emigrated to the United States in 1957.  Even as a youngster he was enamored of cowboys and the wild west. 
While growing up in San Francisco, the dream of becoming a cowboy was always in the forefront. In time he learned to ride and rope, but it wasn't until he started writing poetry that he realized he would never become a cowboy. he had always been one. 
"Ned Bodie" came into being on the Bishop to Bodie ride in the California desert near Mono Lake, where he performed around the campfire. Since then he has performed at the Klickitat (WA) County Fair, Fiddelin Under the stars in Goldendale, Washington, The Columbia River Cowboy Gathering in Kennewick, Washington and numerous other venues.

almedam2bmusic.com
One of Montana’s talented Western entertainers, Almeda’s love and appreciation for the cowboy way comes through in heartfelt expressions of the west. Her clear vocals, compelling stage presence and accomplished musicianship guaranteed this artist to be an audience favorite. 
Almeda raised her family in north central Montana along with showing performance horses, finishing hogs, running 150 mother cows and operating a seed and feed business. She and her husband, former Marlboro Man, Merritt Bradshaw, now live on the Yellowstone River in Huntley, Montana where he trains rope horses and she manages everything else!
Almeda has written poetry, journals and songs since her teen years and has been performing at cowboy gatherings throughout the west for over two decades with four albums of original songs and poetry to her credit:  Learn more about Almeda Bradshaw.
As a member of Humanities Montana, Almeda presents a series of programs on the history of women in country music.

dancanyon.com
Dan Canyon is an old cowhand from south of Spokane. He learned to ride and sing, then he formed a band. Dan grew up riding the beautiful Palouse hills of Eastern Washington State. He toured professionally the U.S. and Canada before settling down to a 22 year career with American Airlines. Having recently retired, he can now devote more time to his cowboy songwriting and performing, plus he is active in several classic rock tribute bands in the Seattle area. Altough he resides in western Washington, he is not a "206er" - His heart is still in the eastern part of the state. His love of horses and the west has never waned. Dan Canyon is the leader, founder, songwriter/producer and guitarist for the recording project "Dan Canyon and The Plainsmen". His newly formed "The Dan Canyon Band" brings together some of the Northwest's finest musicians to present Dan's songs to a live audience. A hard ridin', fast drawin', trail drivin', 3-part harmonizin' group of cowboys. Think of an outlaw version of "Riders in the Sky"......Much of the summer Dan can be found riding the 106,000 acres of the old LT Murray Cattle Ranch north of Selah, Wa. Check out: Reverbnation.com, CDbaby.com,  YouTube.com, SoundClick.com, Facebook.com
 

JudyCoder.com and NotableExceptions.com
Judy is a dynamic singer, a vocalist of the highest order, bringing songs and stories to life through her rich voice. She can sing comfortably in any style, but is particularly recognized in the field of Western/Americana music where she performs with Jennifer Epps as Notable Exceptions.  She is classically trained and meticulous, and her performances are unforgettable.

www.soundclick.com/bodie
Bonifacio was born in Olmito, TX and raised for the first 13 years of his life on the border of Texas and Mexico spending most of his time on a ranch about 24 kilometers from Matamoros on the Mexican side. At 13 he ran away from home and came up North to Oregon to work in the Mexican labor camps. At 14 he bought his first guitar, but it wasn't until 1968 in Vietnam that he put he chords together with song. Since 1972 he has played in every venue that you can imagine. In 1999 he was invited to join the WMA and it has been a good ride. He is now a promoter, radio personality on KRLC 1350 Lewiston, Id, producer, song writer in two languages and sought after entertainer. He owns his own recording studio in Clarkston, WA. Contact info at his Twin River recording: bdominguez2001@yahoo.com 208-553-9055

NotableExceptions.com
For 18 years, Jennifer worked as a part-time ranch hand in the Methow Valley. She also worked through the summer months as a guide and wrangler in the Pasayten Wilderness, close to the Canadian border. Her greatest loves are music and travel, so she recently moved to a house in the historic district of Ellensburg, WA, with easy Interstate access for the StageCoach. She and Judy Coder travel about 6 months of the year as Notable Exceptions.
Jennifer holds a valid driver's license in the state of Washington, and is the only person she knows who plays Nose Flute professionally.

BalladTim.com
One of the Pacific Northwest's leading ballad singers, Tim Jenkins tells stories in song. And some of the best stories are those told by cowboys. His version of "The Zebra Dun" has been described as "Pete Seeger meets Woody Guthrie." High praise indeed for a folksinger. Tim is also an accomplished guitarist and picks a little banjo. He was raised on a small farm in southwest Washington and knows cows (but not horses). Get in touch with Tim!

OpenCrownProductions.com
A professional painter and a poet, Lynn started out entertaining around campfires on both sides of the Cascade Mountains. Armed only with brushes, words, and a really big hat, he has set out to show the west he lives in and loves to as many folks as he can. His thriving ragwort farm and cat ranch sits outside of Enumclaw, Washington in the shadow of Mt. Rainier. Check out (and purchase) his paintings, greeting cards and tour schedule at Open Crown Productions. You may reach Lynn via email at opencrownproductions@gmail.com

www.poppamac.com
Ranching with his brother in the foothills of Alberta was the beginning of his life-long obsession. You can still find Poppa Mac, on horse-back where and whenever possible, whether in a pasture working cattle, or in a rodeo arena delivering God’s Message. 
He is the founder and past president of The Canadian Rodeo Wranglers Association, and can be found working in rodeo arenas throughout Western Canada. In recent years, he has spent time entertaining rodeo audiences with his antics and stories as Poppa Mac the Rodeo Clown. 
Poppa Mac has been entertaining audiences at trail rides, rodeos, cowboy churches, concerts and cowboy gatherings all over Western Canada and several States. His writing style reflects his outlook on life. Poppa Mac’s poems are written from his experiences and have an honesty that only someone who has lived the cowboy life could capture.

SamMattise.com
Singer, songwriter, poet, musician, and author.  Sam Mattise has been performing professionally for over 40 years.  He hails from Boise, Idaho where he lives with his wife Dorothy on a small ranch in the foothills. Sam retired from the Bureau of Land Management where he managed the wild horse herds in Idaho. He stated, “There’s not much left of the old west, but managing wild horses is a small window in time of what it used to be. I feel very fortunate to have had this opportunity.” Sam writes his poetry and music from his life experiences and stories from friends he’s met along the road. He has published two books of poetry, “Dancing Shadows, Mustangs and Dreams” and “Cowboy Dreaming – Sunrise to Sunset”. He has recorded an album of his poetry, “ If Old Saddles Could Talk”, and an album of his music, “ Shadow Dust”.

AKMossBooks.com
A.K. Moss (Kathy) is a western woman from Eastern Oregon, steeped deep in the roots of western living. From working as a girl on their ranch, calving heifers with her parents, to workin' with wild mustangs and helping troubled horses , A.K. has dedicated her life to understanding and communication of animals. A.K. has spent a lifetime around livestock bucking brush and feeding calves. She has written about the people that she meets. Whenever she put pen to paper it came out as poetry. Back in the nineties, A.K. learned what she had been writing was cowboy poetry. And for the first time was introduced to Baxter Black who’s comment drew her to step up on stage. She is not a gal to sit idle. If she is not helping push cattle out on the desert, or working with her colt, or butchering beef at their meat shop, then she is reciting poetry and keeping the western traditions alive by putting hers and other people’s experience in rhythm and rhyme. Which now has her fingers busy punching keys on her third novel. In her Unspoken trilogy, A.K. brings to life the trials and challenges of western living in her Cozy Contemporary Western novels. Check out her website or read her blogs at akmosshorses for her colorful adventures of horses, healing and western living.

BarbaraNelsonMusic.com
Barbara Nelson plays guitar and sings western music in all its many forms, traditional, folk, blues, old standards, and swing.  She has performed solo in many different places, Elko's Annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, Oregon State Parks Program, Hamley's Western Store, Pendleton Arts Center, opened the awards ceremonies for the "Academy of Western Artists" in Fort Worth, Texas. More recently Barbara performed at the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon for the Oregon Folklife Network. Barbara and her husband Nels live on a ranch near Pendleton and manage the family ranch near Heppner. Barbara was presented the Will Rogers award by the AWA  for Western Female Singer of the year  2012 in Fort Worth, Texas. . The song "The Gift" is in the top 10 on the WMA disc jockeys playlist. She loves to sing and play guitar and this shows through in her performances. Her latest c.d. "The Gift" is her 9th and features an Ian Tyson song about Charles Russell, which Barbara thinks is one of the most moving songs she's recorded.

ShortCutPoetry@hotmail.com

Duane Nelson Fueled by a passion for the cowboy lifestyle and a love of entertaining, Duane has delighted audiences across the Northwest for the last decade. From brandings to county fairs, from private parties to The Spirit of the West in Ellensburg, WA (and a 2nd place finish in "Rising Star Division: Reciter, Serious" at the National Cowboy Rodeo in 2009), Duane can be found reciting classics old and new, along with his own poems. 
Duane lives on a ranch near The Dalles, OR with his wife, Lori, who is the driving force behind the Columbia Gorge Cowboy Gathering held in November. Email Duane

LauraleeNorthcott.com
I am Lauralee Northcott, an award winning musician and fiber artist. Performing with my guitar, singing voice, original poems, and stories is my favorite thing to do. I've had a lot of practice because I was a wilderness guide and cook for many years! Entertaining and engaging audiences around the campfire either metaphorically or literally is a way to share our western American experience. Learn more about me, and my area of the west on my website: lauraleenorthcott.com. Email Lauralee 509.996.2404 P.O. Box 276 Winthrop, WA 98862

NotableExceptions.com
Notable Exceptions (Judy Coder and Jennifer Epps) is an eclectic acoustic duo, whose music kindles an earthy feel and a sweet, yet spunky sound. From house concerts to concert halls, each performance is a potpourri of Americana, Folk, Western, and novelty tunes. Judy Coder and Jennifer Epps are known in the world of Western Music for their finely crafted vocal harmony. Judy's tasteful rhythm guitar is right on the button; Jennifer sweetens the sound with tidbits of harmonica, various rhythm instruments, flutes and whistles. The result is fun, fresh, bold Americana. WMA 2015 Harmony Duo of the Year and perennial finalists for IWMA Group of the Year!  Email Notable Exceptions or like us on Facebook!

LemPratt.com
At the age of seven Lem got his first guitar, and he hasn't put it down since. Lem has a heart for country gospel music. As a dedicated Christian his desire is to serve the Lord through the ministry of gospel music and encourage others in their spiritual walk. Lem picked up the nickname "Ranger Lem" while working as a ranger in various national parks. For many years Lem was employed by the police department. He maintained a cowboy heart while enforcing the laws and protecting the public. His style has been described as a cross between the charm of Roy Rogers and the grit of John Wayne. In addition to Christian Country, Lem also does cowboy and country western concerts in auditoriums, resorts, fairs, rodeos, festivals, RV clubs, retirement homes, weddings and private parties. Contact Lem to arrange a concert for your special event.

OregonCowboyPoet.com
Oregon horseman Tom Swearingen is an award-winning cowboy poet who tells stories of the people and land of the American West through original poetry that is often inspired by his own experiences and observations from the saddle.  With ranching and farming on both sides of his family tree, Tom’s love of the cultural tradition and art form of western and cowboy poetry began at an early age.  Writing and performing poetry himself comes from a desire to continue the tradition, and his western lifestyle provides much inspiration.  Tom brings his stories to life with rhythm and rhyme and a style that makes him a popular performer not only at cowboy gatherings and horse camps, but at libraries, historical centers, private functions, and wherever else you find folks who appreciate the cultural heritage of the West.  Swearingen is a two-time winner of the National Finals Rodeo Cowboy Poetry Contest and 2022 and 2019 International Western Music Association Male Poet of the Year.  He has also been nominated for Male Poet of the Year by the Academy of Western Artists. Nearly thirty of Swearingen’s poems have been published in contemporary cowboy poetry anthologies and publications.  His own book “Reflection” was named IWMA 2020 Cowboy Poetry Book of the Year.   He has recorded three live concert CDs, each a finalist for IWMA Cowboy Poetry CD of the Year.  His 2019 album “Language of the Land” reached #1 on Western Radio. Tom has been a headline and featured performer at major western music and cowboy poetry festivals throughout the West including Cochise, Monterey, Kamloops, Durango, Cimarron, Columbia River, Spirit of The West, Arizona, and the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, NV.  For more on Tom see oregoncowboypoet.com.

wahlcountry@gmail.com
Ed released his first CD in January 2009, entitled “Off The Wahl - Country Classics by 
Ed Wahl” and in May 2013 released his second CD called “Keeping The West Alive”, a 
collection of cowboy tunes. This CD was at #13 in the Top 30 Cowboy/Western Albums 
listing in the Winter 2017 issue of Western Way Magazine. 
He has performed at the Kamloops Cowboy Festival, Cariboo Country Night, the Annual 
100 Mile Cowboy Concert, the 108 Mile Canada Day celebration, the Barriere Fall Fair 
& Rodeo, Willow Creek Cowboy Gathering and the Annual Cowboy and Drover Jubilee 
in Barkerville. In 2017 he won the Cowboy Idol at the Columbia River Cowboy 
Gathering in Kennewick, Washington and performed on the main stage in 2018.. 
In his spare time he makes a living building and repairing commercial fishing boats. You 
can contact him at wahlcountry@gmail.com.