Don Edwards In Concert
Friday, Oct. 29 2010
7:30 p.m.
Cedar City Heritage Theater
105 N. 100 East, Cedar City
Box Office: 435-865-2882
Tickets: $20 for adults, $15 for seniors (62 and older) and for students with valid ID
Children 6 and younger will not be allowed.
Don Edwards -The Man & His Music
Grammy nominated singer-guitarist Don Edwards continues to build a legacy that enriches our vision of the American West. In tales of the day-to-day lives and emotions of those who have lived it, his ballads paint a sweeping landscape of both mind and heart, keeping alive the sights, sounds and feelings of this most American contribution to culture and art. The quality of this cowboy balladeer's music stems from the fact that he is so much more than a singer. Bobby Weaver of the National Cowboy Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, summed up Edwards' importance as "...the best purveyor of cowboy music in America today."
An historian, author, and musicologist, unusually wee-versed in cowboy lore and musical traditions, Don brings a rare compliment of knowing and loving his craft. Mostly though, there is the soul of a poet; a man who has never succumbed to the temptations of presenting a glamorized or romanticized version of the West.
The son of a vaudeville magician, Don was exposed as a child to a vast cross-section of music from classical to jazz, and blues to western-swing. Many of those influences enter his own music as they did some of the music of the West. Edwards was drawn to the cowboy life by the books of Will James and was presented the Will James Society's "Big Enough Award" which is presented annually to someone who personifies the Western and Cowboy way of life and their achievements. He also loved the B Westerns of the silver screen, particularly those featuring cowboys like Tom Mix and Ken Maynard. He taught himself guitar starting at age ten, and chased the rodeo and worked ranches in Texas and New Mexico during his teens. In 1961, he got his first professional job as an actor/singer/stuntman at Six Flags Over Texas. Don released his first recording on REN Records of Dallas, Texas.
Don became part owner of the White Elephant Saloon in the Fort Worth stockyards where ballad hunter and historian John Lomax collected cowboy songs. Subsequently, "Esquire" magazine has named the White Elephant one of America's 100 best bars. Edwards also began playing throughout out Oklahoma and Texas, and with the inception of the Cowboy poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada achieved widespread recognition. He has now entertained throughout the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, Europe and the Far East.
Don added screen acting to his career highlight’s in 1998 when he appeared along with Robert Redford and Scarlett Johansson in the critically acclaimed movie “The Horse Whisperer”.
Over the years, Don has received multiple awards from the Western Music Association for Male Vocalist and Performer of the Year. Recently, Don was selected for the Prestigious CHESTER A. REYNOLDS Memorial Award from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum for 2010. This award is named for the founder of the museum honoring Don for his contribution in perpetuating the ideals, history and heritage of the American West.
The richness of Don's voice coupled with his magical stage presentation makes Don Edwards America's number one western singer and concert attraction. The accolades though, have been simply added bonuses for Edwards, who sings what he does out of love and respect for the genre. Don's career continues to blossom, and luckily for all who care about it, he has because of his sincere approach, added much to the literature and music of the West, passing on to the rest of us a legacy rich for his efforts.
