John I. White (1902–1992)

On the surface, the idea of this book seems almost absurd. A popular singer of cowboy songs, not himself a cowboy, writing biographies of genuine cowboy songwriters and their works. And, indeed, if these essays had been written primarily for profit, the result would probably have been pretty bad.

But John I. White was writing for love of the music. He was not a cowboy, but he really did work with cowboy poets, and got to know them, and tried to understand them. Probably he didn't know them as well as other cowboys would. But he does a fine job of "translating" the life of the cowboy for ordinary people.

And he certainly hits the big names -- Curly Fletcher (author of "The Strawberry Roan"), Charles Badger Clark (author of "A Border Affair/Spanish Is the Loving Tongue" and "High Chin Bob"), Gail Gardner (author of "The Sierry Petes/Tying a Knot in the Devil's Tail"), and more. There are books with more cowboy songs. As far as I know, there are no other books with more information about the songs and their writers. My primary wish is that it were longer. For those interested in this sort of music, it is an indispensable book.… (mehr)