Katie recites the lyrics from a cowboy song that some say started out as a poem. It was collected by N. Howard "Jack" Thorp from John Collier, Cornudas Mountain, New Mexico in July 1899. Katie McCall-Owen performs "Windy Bill" during the "Highlights of the Open Mic" show at the 39th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering."

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Katie McCall-Owen
Twin Falls, ID

Cowboy poet Katie McCall-Owen grew up reciting classics, first with her family and then at gatherings. Katie works in town, but still brands and works cows with friends and family every chance she gets. After stepping away from the poetry side of things for nearly 20 years, she is writing more originals than ever while also reciting works from poets she admires. With her husband Greg, she raised three children who all recite and occasionally write poems and stories. Katie hopes to inspire some of the younger generations, including her nine grandchildren, to enjoy and carry on western and cowboy cultures through cowboy poetry.

"Windy Bill" origin unknown

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Filmed in front of a live audience with help from the E. L. Wiegand Foundation at the Western Folklife Center’s G Three Bar Theater in Elko, NV, on Feb. 3, 2024.

Brought to you by the Western Folklife Center, using story and cultural expression to connect the American West to the world.
www.westernfolklife.org

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