Western Music Association Festival
2007

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The 2007 19th Annual Western Music Association (WMA) Festival  took place in November in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Below are photos and information about the recipients of the annual awards. See the Western Music Association web site for information about membership, the annual festival, and more.      Below: The 2007 Festival and Award Winners photos by Jeri Dobrowski; find more in her gallery at her web site here and photo by Jeri Dobrowski photos by Lori Faith Merritt, Photography By Faith; find more in the Proofs and Prints section of her web site Both photographers offer prints at their web sites, where there are many additional photos.   2007 Top Five Nominees   See a report and photos from the 2006 Festival here.     The WMA welcomed poet members in 2006, and introduced awards that recognize cowboy poets: Female Poet of the Year, Male Poet of the Year, and Best Collaboration of Poet and Musician. In 2007, two new awards were added: Best Cowboy Poetry Book and Best Cowboy Poetry CD.

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2007 Western Music Association Festival
 

Winners of the Western Music Association (WMA) awards were announced at the organization's 19th Annual Western Music Festival, held November 15-18, 2007 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. WMA members select the nominees and winners.

The popular, well attended event welcomes the public, and offers entertainment, seminars, youth programs, open stages, vendors, a members' meeting, jam sessions, and more. More than eighty poets and musicians perform on daytime stages and nightly concert venues. The 2007 festival was attended by over 350 registered attendees and the public. Special evening shows included concerts by Riders in the Sky and by Lynn Anderson, a "Barn Dance" show featuring more than 30 entertainers, and "Best of the Best" closing show featuring top poets and musicians.

A daily newspaper with stories, photos, daily schedules, features, announcements, display ads, and more, was produced by Victoria Osborne (www.dramaqueendesign.com) and distributed free to attendees.

   

Awards were presented at a Friday luncheon.

In 2006, the WMA introduced three new awards for cowboy poetry: Female Poet of the Year, Male Poet of the Year, and Best Collaboration of Poet and Musician. For 2007, the organization has added two additional awards: Best Cowboy Poetry Book and Best Cowboy Poetry CD. (See a list of the top five nominees in all categories here at the BAR-D.) The winners in poetry categories are:

MALE POET OF THE YEAR: Les Buffham

FEMALE POET OF THE YEAR: Yvonne Hollenbeck

COWBOY POETRY CD OF THE YEAR: What Would Martha Do by Yvonne Hollenbeck

COWBOY POETRY BOOK OF THE YEAR:  From My Window by Yvonne Hollenbeck

photo by Lori Faith Merritt, www.PhotographyByFaith.com
Yvonne Hollenbeck, with her awards presented by Jim and Andy Nelson

BEST SONG COLLABORATION OF POET AND MUSICIAN:  "El Fuego" by Curly Musgrave & Virginia Bennett

photo by Jeri Dobrowski, www.jeridobrowski.com
Curly Musgrave and friends Susan Parker, Margo Metegrano, and Belinda Gail
call Virginia Bennett to give her the news
 

 

Winners in music categories are:

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR: Lynn Anderson

photo by Jeri Dobrowski, www.jeridobrowski.com
Joe Baker presented Lynn Anderson's award

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR: Dave Stamey

photo by Jeri Dobrowski, www.jeridobrowski.com
Dave Stamey

TRADITIONAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR:  Red Rock Moon by Curly Musgrave & Belinda Gail

photo by Jeri Dobrowski, www.jeridobrowski.com
Belinda Gail and Curly Musgrave

TRADITIONAL DUO/GROUP: Sons of the San Joaquin

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR: Dave Stamey

SONG OF THE YEAR: "I Hope She'll Love Me" by Juni Fisher & Joe Hannah

photo by Jeri Dobrowski, www.jeridobrowski.com
Joe Hannah and Juni Fisher

INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR: Tim Johnson - Sons of the San Joaquin

WESTERN SWING DUO/GROUP: The Texas Trailhands

photo by Jeri Dobrowski, www.jeridobrowski.com
Chuckwagon Chuck and Devon Dawson

WESTERN SWING ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Cowgirl by Lynn Anderson

CRESCENDO AWARD:  The Quebe Sisters Band

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR: Riders in the Sky

photo by Lori Faith Merritt, www.PhotographyByFaith.com
Riders in the Sky

RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR: KWMW - Ruidoso, NM

RADIO DJ OF THE YEAR: Marvin O'Dell

photo by Jeri Dobrowski, www.jeridobrowski.com
Marvin O'Dell with Bill Barwick

Additional awards of tribute were presented, selected by the Board of Directors:  

Pioneer Trail Award:  Marilyn Tuttle

photo by Lori Faith Merritt, www.PhotographyByFaith.com
Marilyn Tuttle with Joe Hannah and Ranger Doug

Hall of Fame:  Rex Allen Jr., Fleming Allen

photo by Jeri Dobrowski, www.jeridobrowski.com
Johnny Western presents Rex Allen Jr. with the Hall of Fame Award, held by Victoria Osborne

The Bill Wiley Award:  Margo Metegrano

Talent showcases were held throughout the festival's weekend and Impromptu entertainment was everywhere, including jam sessions, day and night:

 
photo by Lori Faith Merritt, www.PhotographyByFaith.com
Janet McBride with aspiring yodelers Cora Wood and Jaydn Hollenbeck

and there was time to relax with friends:

photo by Jeri Dobrowski, www.jeridobrowski.com
Radio disk jockey Howard Staub and his wife, Totsie Slover

photo by Jeri Dobrowski, www.jeridobrowski.com
STAMPEDE!  David Anderson, Terri Taylor, and WMA President Steve Taylor
 

photo by Jeri Dobrowski, www.jeridobrowski.com
Susan Parker, Linda Kirkpatrick, Liz Masterson, and Joyce Woodson

 

The Friday night "Barn Dance" and the Saturday night "Best of the Best" show included many top musicians and poets:

photo by Lori Faith Merritt, www.PhotographyByFaith.com
Janet McBride with Judy Coder's band

photo by Lori Faith Merritt, www.PhotographyByFaith.com
Linda Kirkpatrick

photo by Lori Faith Merritt, www.PhotographyByFaith.com
Sam DeLeeuw

photo by Lori Faith Merritt, www.PhotographyByFaith.com
Jean Prescott and Joyce Woodson

photo by Jeri Dobrowski, www.jeridobrowski.com
Patty Clayton

photo by Jeri Dobrowski, www.jeridobrowski.com
Van Criddle

photo by Lori Faith Merritt, www.PhotographyByFaith.com
Jim Nelson, Yvonne Hollenbeck, and Andy Nelson
 

photo by Jeri Dobrowski, www.jeridobrowski.com
Kip Calahan and her daughter

photo by Jeri Dobrowski, www.jeridobrowski.com
Marilyn Tuttle, Liz Masterson, and Suze Spencer Marshall

Poets were challenged on the Saturday night "Best of the Best" show by emcees Jim and Andy Nelson, with a "surprise" segment trying to demonstrate that poets could be taught to sing, a good-natured comment on the recent welcome of poets in the WMA:

photo by Lori Faith Merritt, www.PhotographyByFaith.com
Good sports Linda Kirkpatrick, Jay Snider, Van Criddle, and Doris Daley

photo by Jeri Dobrowski, www.jeridobrowski.com

photo by Jeri Dobrowski, www.jeridobrowski.com

photo by Jeri Dobrowski, www.jeridobrowski.com
Ready for revenge...

 

See many more photos at Lori Faith Merritt's web site:  www.PhotographyByFaith.com

and many more photos at Jeri Dobrowski's web site: www.JeriDobrowski.com

 

 

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The Top-Five Nominees
2007

 

The top five nominees in all cowboy poetry categories were:

MALE POET OF THE YEAR 
Les Buffham
DW Groethe
Don Kennington
Andy Nelson
Jay Snider

FEMALE POET OF THE YEAR
Virginia Bennett
Buckshot Dot (Dee Strickland Johnson)
Doris Daley
Sam DeLeeuw
Yvonne Hollenbeck

BEST SONG COLLABORATION OF POET AND MUSICIAN
"Born to Be a Cowboy" by David Anderson & Sam DeLeeuw
"Dining Out" by Jean Prescott & Yvonne Hollenbeck
"El Fuego" by Curly Musgrave & Virginia Bennett
"Shades of the West" by Doris Daley & Eli Barsi
"Where the Wild Horses Run" by Terri Taylor & Curly Syndergaard

COWBOY POETRY CD OF THE YEAR
16 Horses by Van Criddle
Good for What Ails You by Doris Daley
Harvey's Moon by Andy Nelson
Of Horses & Men by Jay Snider
What Would Martha Do by Yvonne Hollenbeck

COWBOY POETRY BOOK OF THE YEAR
Arizona Women by Buckshot Dot (Dee Strickland Johnson)
From My Window by Yvonne Hollenbeck
In the Company of Horses by Virginia Bennett
Unhobbled by Pat Richardson
West River Waltz by DW Groethe.

The top-five nominees in other categories are:

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Lynn Anderson
Kip Calahan
Belinda Gail
Juni Fisher
Jean Prescott

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
David Anderson
Bill Barwick
Don Edwards
Curly Musgrave
Dave Stamey

TRADITIONAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Born to Be A Cowboy by David Anderson
Cowgirl by Lynn Anderson
Cowgirlography by Juni Fisher
Red Rock Moon by Curly Musgrave & Belinda Gail
Sweethearts in Carhartts by Jean Prescott

TRADITIONAL DUO/GROUP
Call of the West
Curly Musgrave & Belinda Gail
Riders In The Sky
Sons of the San Joaquin
STAMPEDE!

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR:
Liz Anderson
Les Buffham
Juni Fisher
Jack Hannah
Dave Stamey

SONG OF THE YEAR
"Cowboy Standard Time" by Bill Barwick
"The Creakin' of the Leather" by Curly Musgrave & Belinda Gail
"I Hope She'll Love Me" by Juni Fisher & Joe Hannah
"I Rode In as a Stranger" by Liz Anderson
"Where the Wild Horses Run" by Terri Taylor & Curly Syndergaard

INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR
Jean Cahill - Call of the West
Douglas B. Green - Riders In The Sky
Tim Johnson - Sons of the San Joaquin
Curly Musgrave
Washtub Jerry


WESTERN SWING DUO/GROUP
Asleep at the Wheel
The Quebe Sisters Band
STAMPEDE!
The Texas Trailhands
Wylie and the Wild West

WESTERN SWING ALBUM OF THE YEAR
American Fiddler by Tim Johnson
Colorado Swing by Nancy Thorwardson
Cowgirl by Lynn Anderson
Far Away by George Dickey & Nancy Lee
Western Sky by Judy Coder & Pride of the Prairie


CRESCENDO AWARD
The Booher Brothers
Jon Messenger
The Quebe Sisters Band
Trails & Rails
The Yampa Valley Boys


ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Bill Barwick
Kip Calahan
Riders In The Sky
Sons of the San Joaquin
Dave Stamey


RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR
KFDI - Wichita, KS
KWMW - Ruidoso, NM
KRRM - Rogue River, OR
KRLC - Lewiston, ID
KSJD - Cortez, CO


RADIO DJ OF THE YEAR
Al Krtil
Andy & Jim Nelson
Marvin O'Dell
O.J. Sikes
Johnny Western

See the Western Music Association web site for information about membership, the annual festival, and more. 

 

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