Award-winning western musicians and cowboy poets from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Canada will perform Saturday, Oct. 22 at The Dalles Civic Auditorium in The Dalles.
The performers, select members of the International Western Music Association, will perform two shows, with both shows included in one ticket. The 2-5 p.m. matinee show will feature all performers in a fast-moving “opry-style” show and then a host of stars will come out again for the 6-9 p.m. evening show. Admission is $20 at the door, or in advance at iwmacolumbia.org/events.
Among the award-winning performers are Tom Swearingen, named Male Cowboy Poet of the Year by the International Music Association, Barbara Nelson, recognized with CD of the Year nominations by the IWMA and named Female Singer of the Year by the Academy of Western Artists, Duane Nelson, a top-5 finalist for Male Cowboy Poet of the Year and CD of the Year, Sam Mattise, a Cowboy Poets of Idaho Singer/Songwriter of the Year and Hall of Fame inductee, Larry Wilder, a national yodeling champion, Ed Wahl, “Cowboy Idol” winning singer with Mike Dygert on bass, and Venessa Carpenter, a Liz Masterson Crescendo Award nominee recognizing talented young western entertainers. Joining them will be the duo Chinook Winds, singer Janice Williams, poet Ned Bodie, and IWMA Columbia Chapter 2021 Youth Cowboy Poetry Contest age-group winner Thomas Fitzgerald.
Also on hand will be student poets to recite winning poems in the 2022 IWMA Columbia Chapter Youth Cowboy Poetry Contest. The IWMA is a 501c3 organization that encourages and supports the preservation, performance, and composition of traditional and contemporary music and poetry of the West.
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