Brenn Hill, Western Musician
By: Brenn Hill 01/01/2009
When I was touring radio stations in Texas, I was a “Texas Red Dirt Country” artist. At a cowboy poetry gathering, I’m a “Cowboy Singer.” I’ve been called too cowboy for country and too country for cowboy.
The future of cowboy music is bright. I recall a songwriting seminar that I was involved in with Hal Cannon at the 2005 Cowboy Songs and Range Ballads Festival in Cody, Wyoming. Both Hal and I were pleasantly surprised to find that most of the attendees were in their teens or younger.
My two young sons think my music is okay, I guess. When Quayden was a baby, I used to have to hold him and dance around to “Buckaroo Tattoo” to get him to sleep. Briggs has a few requests like “Meet Me In McCall” and “Monster On Your Back” every time I get out a guitar. But mostly, they just think of me as their “Old Man.”
A book that would make a great song is The Time It Never Rained by Elmer Kelton. Elmer Kelton is one of the greatest authors of all time, and this particular book is about the life perils of a real Texas rancher. It gives a lot more insight into real ranching than most Western novels. I wonder if Elmer wants to cowrite a song?
The best-kept secret about my home state of Utah is Capitol Reef National Park. It’s a little off the beaten path, so it doesn’t get quite as much hype (Capitol Reef National Park).
The best advice my parents ever gave me: “Count your pennies, and your dollars will take care of themselves.” Fortunately, I have been able to do more on less because of the lessons they taught me about money.
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