I started in the rodeo business with PRCA stock contractor Five Star Rodeo, a company I've been with for about 20 years. They are one of largest major Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) rodeo companies. The president of Five Star, Troy Weekely, is one of the five directors of the PRCA, a great businessman, one of the most organized human beings
on the face of the planet, very well respected, and one
heck of a nice guy as well. Through Five Star, as well
as other 'committee rodeos,' I've been able to perform
at some major rodeos and Professional Bullriders
Association (PBR) events.
on the face of the planet, very well respected, and one
heck of a nice guy as well. Through Five Star, as well
as other 'committee rodeos,' I've been able to perform
at some major rodeos and Professional Bullriders
Association (PBR) events.
At most rodeos, I perform a live preshow consisting of music to 'get things going,'
a mixture of cover songs and a few of my rodeo originals, such as 'Wild Bull Rider.'
I then will play through the rodeo, patriotic music for the openings, fast music
during the rides, fanfares at appropriate times, funny music for the clowns, and
a wide variety of sports styled production music for the contract acts. I perform
much of this live, I find performing live I can 'match the music' to what's happening
in the arena much like a movie soundtrack.
I also carry 2 laptop computers with a huge music library to do 'canned music.' Most of the PBRs I've done prefer this, as well as some of the roughstock events. This gives me the option of matching the original songs to the rides. I've even been called a 'rodeo DJ,' but I still consider myself a 'rodeo musician.' (read what one publication had to say.)
I've worked with many of the top names in the business, legends like Don Gay, Monte 'Hawkeye' Henson
and Larry Mahan, as well as some of the world's top contract personel like NFR Announcer
Roger Mooney, contract act 'John Paine, the One Armed Bandit' and the incomparable funnyman,
Keith Isley. I have a front row seat watching champions compete, and even get to rub shoulders with
the most heroic and underrated athletes in any sport, the rodeo bullfighters.
My sound system is an integral part of what I do. I've found that good sound is the most overlooked
part of rodeo. I carry not only a large sound system, but scaffolding and staging to get the speakers
in the optimum position to carry hundreds of feet, and cover thousands of spectators. This system is
not what your average bar band would carry, it's a commercial system especially designed for long
'throw,' to carry the sound intelligibly for hundreds of feet.
If you are not a sound technician skip this, it won't mean much, but I travel with racks of QSC PLX series power amps (over 15,000 watts,) it's a three way system crossed over at 90hz and 800hz with 18'" subs, 15" midbass/ with4" voice coils, and 2" exit/ 4" voice coil compression drivers (not the consumer standard 1" horns, just the 'tweeters' in each speaker weigh almost 30 lbs,) and digital system management (Behringer DCX 2496) as well as delay stacks I can deploy if needed. I also have narrow band parametric equalization inserts (feedback suppressors) on several channels as well as individual limiting to insure a clown and announcer standing in front of the main speakers can be heard by all and not feed back. This system is far more expensive than the usual sound system found at rodeos, but I feel it sure makes a difference in the show, and after a committee experiences it, they usually agree.
Several years ago, I put out a rodeo album, "Ridin' On." Although it has been out of print for many years, some of the songs still stay in my rodeo stage show. The cowboys still request "Wild Bull Rider." Another song, "Hang it Up," is my favorite, it's the story of a cowboy who becomes crippled, and his hope for the future. The song "Last Rodeo," closes the southeast circuit finals every year. I've been told "Cheyenne Frontier Days" rodeo had a couple of cuts from my album on their play list.
Since I became involved in the sport of rodeo I've expanded my role a little bit. Not only do I perform at rodeos and provide sound reinforcement , but I've had some great success in helping market rodeos. I've even produced my own show, Bull-Fron-Tation, which was held every November in Lake Placid from 1997 until 2001. Sadly, I lost my venue then, but the doors this helped open were invaluable. I've had great success promoting for others since then, learned enough graphic design to get by, written ad copy, radio spots, some web work and seo functions, and have even produced TV commercials. Now, if I could ever get the nerve to climb on a horse...
a mixture of cover songs and a few of my rodeo originals, such as 'Wild Bull Rider.'
I then will play through the rodeo, patriotic music for the openings, fast music
during the rides, fanfares at appropriate times, funny music for the clowns, and
a wide variety of sports styled production music for the contract acts. I perform
much of this live, I find performing live I can 'match the music' to what's happening
in the arena much like a movie soundtrack.
I also carry 2 laptop computers with a huge music library to do 'canned music.' Most of the PBRs I've done prefer this, as well as some of the roughstock events. This gives me the option of matching the original songs to the rides. I've even been called a 'rodeo DJ,' but I still consider myself a 'rodeo musician.' (read what one publication had to say.)
I've worked with many of the top names in the business, legends like Don Gay, Monte 'Hawkeye' Henson
and Larry Mahan, as well as some of the world's top contract personel like NFR Announcer
Roger Mooney, contract act 'John Paine, the One Armed Bandit' and the incomparable funnyman,
Keith Isley. I have a front row seat watching champions compete, and even get to rub shoulders with
the most heroic and underrated athletes in any sport, the rodeo bullfighters.
My sound system is an integral part of what I do. I've found that good sound is the most overlooked
part of rodeo. I carry not only a large sound system, but scaffolding and staging to get the speakers
in the optimum position to carry hundreds of feet, and cover thousands of spectators. This system is
not what your average bar band would carry, it's a commercial system especially designed for long
'throw,' to carry the sound intelligibly for hundreds of feet.
If you are not a sound technician skip this, it won't mean much, but I travel with racks of QSC PLX series power amps (over 15,000 watts,) it's a three way system crossed over at 90hz and 800hz with 18'" subs, 15" midbass/ with4" voice coils, and 2" exit/ 4" voice coil compression drivers (not the consumer standard 1" horns, just the 'tweeters' in each speaker weigh almost 30 lbs,) and digital system management (Behringer DCX 2496) as well as delay stacks I can deploy if needed. I also have narrow band parametric equalization inserts (feedback suppressors) on several channels as well as individual limiting to insure a clown and announcer standing in front of the main speakers can be heard by all and not feed back. This system is far more expensive than the usual sound system found at rodeos, but I feel it sure makes a difference in the show, and after a committee experiences it, they usually agree.
Several years ago, I put out a rodeo album, "Ridin' On." Although it has been out of print for many years, some of the songs still stay in my rodeo stage show. The cowboys still request "Wild Bull Rider." Another song, "Hang it Up," is my favorite, it's the story of a cowboy who becomes crippled, and his hope for the future. The song "Last Rodeo," closes the southeast circuit finals every year. I've been told "Cheyenne Frontier Days" rodeo had a couple of cuts from my album on their play list.
Since I became involved in the sport of rodeo I've expanded my role a little bit. Not only do I perform at rodeos and provide sound reinforcement , but I've had some great success in helping market rodeos. I've even produced my own show, Bull-Fron-Tation, which was held every November in Lake Placid from 1997 until 2001. Sadly, I lost my venue then, but the doors this helped open were invaluable. I've had great success promoting for others since then, learned enough graphic design to get by, written ad copy, radio spots, some web work and seo functions, and have even produced TV commercials. Now, if I could ever get the nerve to climb on a horse...
"My Life in Rodeo, America's Original Sport"
One of the most wonderful things that has ever happened to me was becoming involved in the world of rodeo. It's truly an exciting sporting event, but beyond that, rodeo folk are truly a family.
It's a wonderful feeling to know that in any area of the country, I'll most likely know somebody. I'm not a cowboy, but have been welcomed into the sports fraternity of rodeo cowboys and cowgirls with open arms.
Join me at PBR Ocala for the best Florida PBR action June 16-17, 2007
One of the most wonderful things that has ever happened to me was becoming involved in the world of rodeo. It's truly an exciting sporting event, but beyond that, rodeo folk are truly a family.
It's a wonderful feeling to know that in any area of the country, I'll most likely know somebody. I'm not a cowboy, but have been welcomed into the sports fraternity of rodeo cowboys and cowgirls with open arms.
Join me at PBR Ocala for the best Florida PBR action June 16-17, 2007
8 Time world bullriding champion, Don Gay
