Chris LeDoux

A friend posted something on Facebook about this week being the 8th anniversary of Chris LeDoux's death.  He has forever and always been my favorite artist, even the old stuff from before he was famous.  It's strange I can still remember the exact moment my mama and I heard on the radio that he had died.  We were in Redding, CA on Hilltop Drive.  I was a senior in high-school and had a meeting with an adviser at Shasta College.  My mama and I were just stunned, we heard what the DJ was saying, but it just didn't really sink in, just didn't seem real. 

In high-school I used his music for class projects several times.  In Spanish I made a children's book based on Caballo Diablo.  In English I used a quote from The Ride for a presentation.  He inspired me all through my childhood.  He was also the first concert I ever went to.  The most amazing thing I had ever seen was towards the end when he entered the stage on a bucking machine.  I remember thinking he really was the real thing and how lucky was I to get to see him in concert.  It was just a couple years later that we lost him and anyone who hadn't seen him live would never get the chance.

This Cowboy's Hat was probably my first favorite of his.  We had it on cassette and I used to play it so much my dad told me I was going to wear it out(I actually may have done just that).  Call of The Wild was also a top favorite, I played it in the barn all the time. My sister has a lot of his albums and when I stayed with her during the summers I added another couple to the list, The Yellow Stud and The Stampede.  My newest favorites are; Hairtrigger Colt .44, Hoka Hey, Lakotas, The Passenger, Too Tough to Die and Working Man's Dollar. This is definitely not a complete favorites list, I have like a trillion!

There's a song that really hits home to my papa.  He used to ride bulls in the 70's when him and my mama were first married.  My Grandad thought he was crazy, but actually really respected him for it.  He wasn't particularly great, I wouldn't say he was on the road to the NFR by any means, but he did it and he loved it.  My dad is short, but has really wide shoulders and carries all of his weight in his upper body, not exactly the best physique for a bullrider.  At some point he rolled a CAT off of a cliff and broke his neck.  He wasn't riding anymore, but that ensured he'd never be able to again.  His song Ten Seconds in The Saddle means the most to my papa.  "Life is just like ridin' broncs it's a battle, then he rolled a cigarette with shaky hands. Son I'd gladly take 10 seconds in the saddle than a life time of watchin' from the stands"  I can see that longing in my papas eyes every time we watch the Bull Riding.  He may not have been great, but it wasn't about that, it was the feeling he experienced every time he crawled on the back of a raging bull.  A few years back we had a pretty rank Angus bull, and don't you know my dad was talking about what it'd be like to buck him out!  We all took it as idle chit chat, but I know in his heart he really would have liked to have crawled on him.

I'm sure Chris LeDoux has touched us all at some point, especially those of us living the songs he wrote.   What are some of  your favorites????  Do you personally identify with any of his songs?

 

XO Loves,

Me