Andy Hedges

Old-time musician Rex Rideout discusses the life and times of the first cowboy song collector Jack Thorp. Rex discusses the events that led to Thorp's search for cowboy songs, Thorp's book of Songs of the Cowboys, the story of Little…

Photo by Scott Slusher

Ninety-one year-old legendary working cowboy Boots O'Neal talks about his early cowboyin' experiences on the JA Ranch, starting colts with his brother Wes, horse wrecks, and tells stories from a lifetime spent punchin' cows on the…

Oklahoma cowboy poet, rancher, and former bull rider Jay Snider talks about his ranching and rodeo family, the influence of his grandfather, memories from his rodeo career, and the camaraderie of the trail driving era that continues through rodeo and…

94-year-old rancher and Nebraska Sandhills Cowboy Hall of Fame inductee Clarence Lanka talks about growing up on a ranch in Western Nebraska, riding his horse to a one room school, roping, good horses, and his faith in God. 

Become a…

Photo by Jessica Lifland.

Working cowboy, filmmaker, songwriter, and poet Gail Steiger sends in audio postscripts to continue the conversation from part 1. On this episode Gail talks about his cowboy mentor Bill Murphy, making the film Ranch Album, tracking…

Photo by Jessica Lifland.

Working cowboy, filmmaker, songwriter, and poet Gail Steiger talks about his family background, Arizona politics, writing cowboy songs, and tells the fascinating story of how he got into the cow business. 

Find out more about Gail…

This bonus episode of Cowboy Crosroads features a segment that Andy Hedges narrated for the American Songcatcher podcast about the first cowboy song collector Jack Thorp. 

In March 1889, Jack Thorp, a born-to-privilege Easterner who had grown into a leather-tough…

Bob Kinnan, the resident historian of the iconic King Ranch gives an overview of the history of the King Ranch from the ending of the Civil War to modern times and discusses the life and legacy of National Golden Spur…

Photo by Jessica Lifland.

Legendary western artist William Matthews discusses his early life and influences, traveling the world, painting album covers, using watercolor as a medium, and discovering and painting the buckaroo culture of the Great Basin. 

Find out more…

Andy Hedges previews his new album "Roll On, Cowboys" and takes a close look at the songs on the second disc with special guests Rod Taylor, Dom Flemons, Pipp Gillette, Corb Lund, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Michael Martin Murphey, Tom Russell…

Andy previews his new album "Roll On, Cowboys" and takes a close look at the songs with special guests Brenn Hill, Dom Flemons, Corb Lund, Pipp Gillette, Tom Russell, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Brigid Reedy, Waddie Mitchell, and Andy Wilkinson. 

Cowboy, photographer and retired General Manager of the Pitchfork Ranch Bob Moorhouse talks about managing the Pitchfork Ranch, pulling out the wagon, tradition, cowboy etiquette, photography, horses, and preserving the authentic cowboy image. 

This episode is sponsored by the National…

Photo by John Reedy. 

Singer, songwriter, poet, and fiddler Brigid Reedy talks about growing up in Montana, the influence of her parents, playing music with her brother, attending the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, reciting poetry with Wallace McRae, playing music…

Fourth-generation rancher Jon Means tells stories from a lifetime of ranching in the Davis Mountains of West Texas. Jon talks about his great-grandfather coming to West Texas in 1884, ranching in the desert, stewardship, and the challenges that face ranching…

Cowboy poet, humorist, and farrier Andy Nelson talks about traveling the Great Basin with his farrier father, his horse shoeing and cowboy mentors, cowboy humor, and writing poetry.

Find out more about Andy Nelson at www.cowpokepoet.com

This…

Photo by Anita Crane.

Fifth-generation rancher and poet Deanna Dickinson McCall shares stories about her ranching heritage, raising her family on a ranch in the remote Great Basin region of Nevada, and absorbing the cowboy poetry tradition…

Photo by Kathleen Jo Ryan.

94 year-old, third generation rancher Jimmie Powell shares stories from a lifetime of ranching in West Texas. Jimmie discusses raising sheep and cattle, ranching conservation practices, his friendship with Elmer Kelton, and…

Photo by Kent Reeves.

This is the second episode of a two part show exploring the life and work of the late Texas cowboy poet and singer Buck Ramsey. In this second part, cowboy poet Joel Nelson…

Photo by Kent Reeves. 

This is the first episode of a two part show exploring the life and work of the late Texas cowboy poet and singer Buck Ramsey. In this first part, Buck Ramsey's widow…