OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — With a career spanning 50 years, Don Edwards is a guitarist, composer, recording artist and historian who has preserved and added value to the rich heritage of traditional Western music. Edwards will be honored with the Chester A. Reynolds Memorial Award during the annual Western Heritage Awards at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum® in Oklahoma City, April 17, 2010. The black-tie affair recognizes principal creators in 16 categories of Western music, literature, television and film. Inductees to the Hall of Great Westerners and Hall of Great Western Performers also will be honored.
In 1990, the Museum established the Chester A. Reynolds Award, named in honor of the founder of the Museum. This honor is bestowed upon a living person who embodies the traits depicted by Chester A. Reynolds himself. This special award does not include an induction into one of the Museum's three Halls of Fame. The award recognizes outstanding contributions by an individual, group or institution perpetuating the ideals, history and heritage of the American West, whether by a single remarkable achievement or a body of quality work over a period of years.
Born in New Jersey in 1939 as the son of a Vaudeville magician, Edwards was exposed at an early age to a vast array of music. He taught himself how to play the guitar at the age of 10 and moved to Texas when he was 16. Edwards was drawn to the cowboy way of life by the books of Will James and “B” Western movies that featured cowboys like Tom Mix and Ken Maynard. As a teenager, he worked ranches in Texas and New Mexico and chased rodeos before landing his first entertainment job as an actor, singer and stuntman at Six Flags Over Texas in 1961. Edwards made his first record in 1964. He has since recorded more than 15 albums, participated in numerous collaborations with other artists and has authored three song books.
Edwards has contributed much to the preservation and celebration of traditional cowboy music. He has two albums, “Guitars & Saddle Songs” and “Songs of the Cowboy,” included in the Folklore Archives of the Library of Congress. As a result of 40 years of research, Edwards completed “Saddle Songs,” a compilation of classic cowboy ballads presented through two separate recordings and a book of the songs’ histories, lyrics and music. To add to his resume of talent, Edwards portrayed the role of “Smokey” in Robert Redford’s 1997 film “The Horse Whisperer.” He also was featured on the movie’s sound track.
Edwards has many awards to show for his accomplishments as a Western music balladeer and historian. He has received the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s Wrangler Award, along with numerous other awards from The Western Music Association, The Academy of Western Artists, the Will James Society, the National Association for Independent Music and a Grammy nomination. He was selected Best Balladeer by True West magazine three years in a row. He also is an inductee in the Traditional Country Music Hall of Fame, the Western Walk of Stars, the Texas Trail of Fame, and the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame.
When Edwards is not recording music he often gives workshops and lectures about Cowboy music heritage. He has taught seminars at Yale, Rice, Texas Christian and other universities. He also has appeared on hundreds of radio and television programs and performed thousands of concerts throughout the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, Europe and Asia.
The 2010 Western Heritage Awards are sponsored by the ConocoPhillips Company, Wrangler, W.S. Bowlware Construction, Inc. and The Oklahoman, with support from Museum Partners Devon Energy Corporation, Chesapeake Energy Corporation and the E.L. and Thelma Gaylord Foundation.
For reservations or more information about the 2010 Western Heritage Awards, call (405) 478-2250, Ext. 219. The National Cowboy Museum, America's Premier Western Heritage Museum™, is supported through memberships and private and corporate donations. Nationally accredited, the Museum is located in Oklahoma City’s Adventure District at the junction of I-44 and I-35. For more information about the Museum or for a calendar of events, visit www.nationalcowboymuseum.org or call (405) 478-2250.
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