42nd Gathering Featured Artists
Enjoy this collection of performances by the invited performers for the 42nd National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, January 25 - 30, 2027.
Artwork - They Are Always With Us, We Are a Part of the Desert (2026), watercolor by James Shoshone.
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The Old Bronco Mare
Ryan and Hoss memorialize an old reliable mare in song. Ryan and Hoss Fritz sing "The Old Bronco Mare" during the "Family Ties" show at the 35th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
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Ryan Fritz
Longview, Alberta, Canada
Recording artist Ryan Fritz, who has spent decades cowboying a... -
Let It Be
Doris Daley performs "Let It Be" during the "I Just Wanna Be a Comic Cowboy" show at the 36th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. This rhyme asks whether poetry or songwriting is more difficult. She references songs and ends with a nod to the Beatles.
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Black Diamond, AB, Canada
Dor... -
Ida Red
Sam sings about a "dream girl." Sam Platts performs the traditional song "Ida Red" during the "Western Rewind" show at the 41st National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
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Sam Platts
Seguin, TX
Sam Platts got his start in music on the windy plains of southern Wyoming, and today he and hi... -
Bad Dream
Dakota shares the tale of the night he nearly covered an outlaw roan. Dakota Holdaway recites "Bad Dream" during the "Get in the Pickup, We're Going to Town" show during the 41st National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
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Dakota Holdaway
Nephi, UT
Storyteller and poet Dakota Holdaway be... -
The Coyote
Sterling sings a song written in honor of the Irish immigrants who moved to western Montana. Sterling Drake performs "The Coyote" during the "For Story's Sake" show at the 41st National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
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Sterling Drake
Philipsburg, MT
Songwriter Sterling Drake’s journey ... -
The Osage Orange
Jake tells a tale from the point of view of a fence post. Jake Riley recites "The Osage Orange" during the "For Story's Sake" show at the 41st National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
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Jake Riley
Riverdale, NE
Jake Riley was born in Salida, Colorado, and grew up, for the most part, in ... -
Three-Dimensional Nights
Trinity Seely sings a song she wrote with Waddie Mitchell. Trinity Seely performs "Three-Dimensional Nights" during the "Cohorts & Collaborators" show at the 40th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
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Trinity Seely
Ojai, CA
Trinity Seely grew up in the heart of cow country in the C... -
Man's Best Friend
Ross tries to answer the question, "is a dog really man's best friend?" Ross Knox recites "Man's Best Friend" during the "Leppies + Other Mavericks" show at the 41st National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
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Ross Knox
Skull Valley, AZ
Ross Knox first aspired to be a cowboy as a little ... -
Roadrunner
Olivia shares a tale of a magical journey in the desert. Olivia Romo recites "Roadrunner: the Chosen Prophet," during the "Gimme Open Roads + Fresh Air" show at the 35th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
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Olivia Romo
Santa Fe, NM
Olivia Romo is a farmer, poet and water rights ac... -
Don't Hurt My Heart
Mike draws on his experience with horses in his iconic song from the animals' perspective. Mike Beck performs "Don't Hurt My Heart" during the "Free Life & Fresh Air" show at the 39th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
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Mike Beck
Manhattan, MT
Mike Beck is a professional musicia... -
Shunga Sha
M.L. shares a remarkable poem about the fox. M.L. Smoker performs "Shunga Sha" during the "Words Are Medicine" show at the 41st National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
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M.L. Smoker
Wolf Point, MT
M.L. Smoker is Nakoda, Dakota, and Lakota, a citizen of the Fort Peck Tribes, and rooted ... -
Winnemucca
Forrest VanTuyl takes a hard-scrabble tour of Nevada's small towns. Forrest VanTuyl performs "Winnemucca" during the "Free Life & Fresh Air" show at the 39th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
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Forrest VanTuyl
Goldendale, WA
Forrest VanTuyl is a songwriter and poet from Goldendal...
