Wow, I have missed blogging! The road has it's own challenges, and I have been concentrating on some other aspects....like expanding my "loop" of travel in the US.

So, in November 2008, I was most honored to be named the 2008 Western Music Association Songwriter of the Year...to date, no other woman has been awarded this one, and to have won it among some of my most esteemed peers, well, I am just beside myself. I've had several folks ask "What song did you win that for?" ...and maybe that is because I won "Song of the Year" in 2007 from the WMA for "I Hope She'll Love Me"
Songwriter of the year is for a songwriter who has been recognized by the music community for excellence in songwriting in general....for various projects, etc...not specifically one song or a group or songs or an album. Kind of like "Poet of the Year."
To that moment in time, it was the WMA Award I had most coveted, because it is non gender specific, and covers a body of work over several years.

But four years ago this coming June, I stood in the office of Scott O'Malley and Associates in Colorado Springs, CO, and looked in awe at the beautiful "Wrangler Awards" displayed there for Scott's great roster of artists: Don Edwards, Waddie Mitchell, Rich O'Brien, Sons of the San Joaquin, and I said to both Scott and my husband Rusty "I want one of THOSE"
I learned that the Wrangler Award is bestowed by an independent judging committee, through the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. The list of past winners is a who's who of Western Music, Film, and Literature, and that the music awards are for "Most Outstanding Traditional Western Album" and "Outstanding Composition" (for an individual song) and that last year, they added "New Artist" (still sort of a mystery, as the first winner was a country artist who has been in the business since the seventies) but that one did not interest me anyway....oh, I put in my submission for that, but what I wanted was the album award. The first time I tried to enter was in 2006 for my album "Cowgirlography," but learned that I had to be on a multi-artist label to qualify. I entered two songs, but no award.
     Then as I began work on "Gone For Colorado" I set my eye on the award, since in 2007, the entries opened up to smaller labels...like my own "Red Geetar Records." While my focus was to do the album to honor my family's history, I also wanted to inspire others to research their own histories, and create a memorable and different journey in song. And, I kept in mind that the historical aspect might just get it the attention it needed for consideration in the "Heritage Awards"   There were songs that cropped up, both from my own writing, and from other writers that I wanted to consider, but if they did not fit the project, out they went. I took a deep breath and contacted producer Rich O'Brien for his co-producing expertise, and his musical genius. I also told Rich that while I wanted his input, I wanted the project to be representative of what I was doing in my wiriting and vocals....I wanted the "honesty." Rich understood. Intimidated as I was to begin working with him, because of his wonderful reputation as a producer of Western Music,  once we talked things over, I felt I had made the right choice.
       The album was released the first day of 2008, to mostly great reviews and I knew it was working when folks started writing to me that it was a journey they understood, because it was similar to their own family stories.
     The day the Western Heritage Awards nomination forms became available, I entered "Gone For Colorado" in the Outstanding Traditional Western Album" category, as well as entering two songs for good measure. And as I did so, I sent out my "wish to the Universe" for a Wrangler Award for "Outstanding Album"  Every time I thought about it, I re-sent my "wish."
     Early last week, the Museum's representative called me to tell me I had won the Wrangler Award for "Most Outstanding Traditional Western Album" and that I'd be getting my Wrangler in April at the Gala in April 2009. And in addition to being the first person with an independent album release to win, I am the first WOMAN TO WIN! Whoooohooo.....we are celebrating at my house, and my family will be coming in from all over to share the fun in April in Oklahoma City!
http://nationalcowboymuseum.org/default.aspx