This week we take a look at our final nominee for Entertainer of the Year at the Texas Music Assoc. Awards (April 26th). He might be last on the list but by no means less important. Some might even say I saved the best for last.
According to Richard W. Slatta (The Cowboy Encyclopedia - W.W. Norton and Company), Michael Martin Murphy is a bona fide western singer. I couldn't agree more! Murphy blazed a trail for western singers, expanding the listening audience for cowboy music without leaving the campfire glow behind. http://www.michaelmartinmurpheymusic.com/cms/6Murphy
Murphy grew up listening to and singing cowboy songs around a campfire. In the 1960s, he headed to UCLA to study Greek/Latin/Roman history. He felt a connection with the traveling minstrels so wanted to learn more about those who had wandered before him. He still loves history, sharing snippets of his knowledge in his shows.
Although he had released his first album in 1972, I first heard Michael Martin Murphy in the early 80s. What's Forever For is just one romantic ballad from his self-titled album released in 1981. A romantic cowboy! What more could a girl ask for?
When the cowboy poetry movement surged in the 1980s, Murphy jumped in. He came an evangelist of sorts for the cowboy movement. One of his most known endeavors is WestFest. A woodstock for cowboys, WestFest takes place in Copper Mountain, Co.
Aside from being a nominee at the TMAs this year, Michael is also MC and will be in concert following the awards presentation.
If you have the opportunity to attend the awards show, please post here and tell us who you met and what your highs/lows of the evening were. Until then...
Country Blessings
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