Howdy! This page is part of my guide to "western" music, the legacy of the so-called "singing cowboys." You gotta love this stuff, with its sweet, old-fashioned sentimental themes, its love of nature and the great outdoors. Here's a look at the legacy of western music, old and new, with reviews and recommendations to make your next cattle drive the best one yet. This page covers artists under the letter "E" - please feel free to make recommendations or comments if I've missed someone.
(PS - Don't forget the cowgals, as well!)
Don Edwards - see artist discography
Wayne Erbsen "Cowboy Songs Of The Wild Frontier" (Native Ground Records, 2004)
Rod Erickson "She Taught Me To Yodel" (GNP-Crescendo Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Gary McDonall)
Yodeler Rod Erickson (1938-2015) grew up in Alberta, Canada but moved to Idaho in his teens, learning how to sing and pick guitar in his twenties. He had a surprise hit in the early 'Seventies with his revival of "She Taught Me To Yodel," following it up with covers of other cowboyish oldies such as "Cattle Call," "Riders In The Sky," and "Yodel Your Troubles Away," which are all included on this album. Erickson made it to Nashville and toured nationally with stars such as Grandpa Jones and Johnny Paycheck, but he found life on the road precarious and unrewarding and returned to Idaho to perform locally and hold down his day job as an electrician. He and his wife Nancy bought a restaurant in Spirit Lake called the Fireside Lodge -- he had played there for many years, and became the owner in 1989, running it for over two decades before selling it to the city to develop as a park. This was his only mainstream country album -- Erickson later self-released several gospel records, including several CDs.
Dale Evans "The Rage Of The Sage" (BACM, 2005)
Ezra & His Beverly Hillbillies "Ezra & His Beverly Hillbillies" (BACM, 2005)
