By Shonda Little (Editor’s note: the following biography was provided) With just a month left to plan, volunteers and organizers for the fourth annual Dust Bowl Days are in full swing to make July 1921 memorable in Sayre.
On Friday, the Western Equipment Antique Tractor Cruise-In will take place downtown. During that time, cowboy artists will perform country hits from days gone and days current.
Among them will be Chuck Milner. Milner and his family have entertained throughout western Oklahoma. The following biography was provided.
Chuck Milner is a singer/ songwriter from Roger Mills County, Oklahoma. He has been playing cowboy music for over 45 years. He is a retired Rangeland Management Specialist, USDA.
He has been a featured performer at: The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, Washington D.C.
Folk Life Festival -Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C The Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada, The Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering, Alpine, Texas, The Western Heritage Classic, Abilene, Texas The Lowell Folk Music Festival, Lowell Mass.
The NCHA Futurity Finals, Ft. Worth, Texas WRCA Ranch Rodeo Finals, Amarillo Texas The Shepherd of the Hills Theater, Branson Mo.
Aspen Cade, Red River, New Mexico Calgary Stampede Poetry Gathering, Calgary Canada The Rafter S Timed Event Roping, Cyril, Oklahoma Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Ranch Gatherings The Durango Cowboy Poetry Gathering, Durango, Colorado The Seed Cleaners Ball and Calf Fry, Olustee, Oklahoma, and many other events across the United States.
For 22 years, he was a featured performer at the Chuck Wagon Gathering, Cowboy Hall and Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City Oklahoma.
He has been involved with the music at the WRCA WCRR Finals for all 29 years, and has been involved as the AISD Kids Camp Coordinator for 26 years. He is also a former committee member for the Panhandle Classic WRCA Rodeo in Gruver, Texas.
He is a former Artist-in Residence, for the Oklahoma State Arts Council. He has also done work for the Mid-America Arts Council and the National Council for Traditional Arts. He has performed well over 400 school programs.
He rode horses, pushed cattle and got shot a lot in the 1993 film Tombstone .
His songs have been recorded by Red Steagall, the Burson Family, Jean Prescott and others. He and wife Beth have two children, Hallie and Cody who were raised on Rush Creek near Reydon Oklahoma, where they operate an Angus cow/calf operation and raise Quarter Horses. He enjoys team roping although he’s still not very good at it.
In 2001 Chuck received the Will Rogers Award for Western Music Song of the Year, by the Academy of Western Artists, for his song Doan’s Crossing. In 2003 they received a Centennial Ranch award for their Smoot-Hood Ranch in Greer County, having been owned and operated by Beth and her family since 1901.
In 2005 Chuck was honored with the Heritage Award from The Texas Cowboy Poetry Committee, Alpine Texas. In 2012, he was awarded the Buck Ramsey Heritage Award, by the Nara Visa Cowboy Gathering.
For more information, contact Jill Drake at (580)504-2034.
