Royal Wade Kimes, American Cowboy

Royal Wade Kimes was born a cowboy. His first shoes were cowboy boots. He can’t remember not wearing a cowboy hat. For Wade it was not just a style of dressing, it was who he was. It was his way of life and he loved it. Today Wade is as well known as a songwriter and country western entertainer as he is for his natural skills working with and riding horses.

Wade was one of the first entertainers to get on the bandwagon to create a National Day of the Cowboy. The journey to becoming a spokesperson for the American Cowboy began years ago as a young boy watching cowboys on television, in the movies and at the rodeos. His heroes included Hopalong Cassidy who was as well known for his benevolent work with children, especially with the Easter Seals Foundation as for his roles in television and movies. The late Jim Shoulders who won multiple world championships in the rodeo arena was also one of his heroes. He can remember going to rodeos and waiting for Jim’s turn to ride. Wade said he not only admired Jim because of his accomplishments in the rodeo arena but even as a young boy he knew Jim ranched and rode horses in his daily life.

James Arness and his show “Gunsmoke” played a major role in Wade’s early development. Beginning in 1955 the show ran for 20 seasons. When it ended in 1975 it was the longest running dramatic series in television history, a record that has never been broken. Wade pointed out while making a comparison between “Gunsmoke” and today’s top shows that the image of Marshall Matt Dillon walking down the main street of Dodge City, Kansas, a strong determined cowboy was one that any young person could admire. The show although billed as an adult western focused on right and wrong and most of all respect for each other. Death was treated with dignity. Not just for the good guys but when the Marshall was forced to kill the bad guy he did it with remorse and respect for the man. He always made sure everyone was properly buried whether they were good or bad. Respect for life seems to be something he finds missing in a lot of modern day television and movies. A trait he bemoans as to the effect it has on today’s youth. Although he has never met Mr. Arness a good friend of Wade’s from the Gene Autry Foundation gave him one of his albums. Mr. Arness loved the music so much that he wrote Wade. Since then the two men have exchanged several correspondences. Getting to know his hero in this manner has been a highlight of his career.

Of course it wasn’t all just what he saw. A lot being a true American Cowboy comes from his own experience. His father to this day is his greatest hero. When Wade was a little boy his father operated a saw mill. Wade’s first memory of working with his dad was his “stick horses”. He had a whole “corral” of those horses which provided hours of playing cowboy as his daddy worked. By nine he had a real horse and was learning there was more to being a real cowboy than chasing bad guys. His father raised cattle on his 120 acre ranch located on the Arkansas-Oklahoma border. The family grazed the cattle on over 1000 acres of government owned open range in the mountains. By age eleven Wade’s job was to ride herd on the cattle. He usually rode a little black “brush” horse named “Radler”. He was 14 hands high and knew the ways of the range well enough to be a great teacher for the young boy. Often the cattle would not want to come home. The horse for that job was a solid red sorrel named “Dan”. Wade would ride out and tell “ol' Dan” “Go get em” and the horse would work his way through the mountain trails. Wade would give a long, high pitched cattle call, then wait and listen for the bell of the bell cow. With the sound of the bell he would wait as the bell cow would lead her herd to him. Then with the help of “ol’ Dan” and the bell cow he would take the cattle home.

Years of working on the family ranch tuned him into a seasoned horseman at a very early age. In 1983 he landed a job with Loretta Lynn and her husband Mooney on their ranch just outside of Nashville. Many mornings he enjoyed an early morning cup of coffee with Loretta. Campfire parties at night were one of the Lynn’s ways of entertaining. Often Mooney knowing of Wade’s love of singing would ask him to sing. One of the men he worked with was Ricky Rasch the father of professional bull rider, Corey Rasch. Although his stay at the Lynn Ranch only lasted two years the friendships and lessons he learned there have lasted a lifetime.

In 1985 he went to work for Lynn Anderson working with her horses. He spent his free time writing songs with the hopes of land a song writing deal on Music Row in Nashville. It was while walking down this famous street one day that he had a chance meeting with Eddy Arnold. He asked him to listen to one of his songs and said “Let me know if I have it. If I don’t I’ll go home.” Eddy liked what he heard and started working with Wade. The help and the people he met through Eddy Arnold played such a strong role in his career that if you ever catch one of Wade’s concerts you can be sure he will do at least one of Eddy’s songs in respect for a man he calls one of the all time greats of country music. As a songwriter for a major publisher Wade became one of the highest paid staff writes in the business.

Wade has written for many well known entertainers and has had his share of gold and platinum songs as a songwriter. Three that he is especially proud of would be Garth Brooks’ 1991 platinum hit “Bury the Hatchet”; Diamond Rio’s big hit “Calling All Hearts”; and Gene Watson’s number one hit “Snake In the House”.

Wade’s music reflects not only his own life experiences but the stories his uncle, Austin Maxwell, and his grandpa told about the days when the “West” was Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas, the original “Bad Lands”. There were tales of Cole Younger stopping at the Maxwell ranch to buy hams from Austin’s dad, the Pony Express out of St. Joe, Missouri and of one ancestor in particular that was a notorious Ozark Mountains bank robber. Stories of cowboys building a new nation and the struggles they faced. Through his stories he taught him to understand the passion of the cowboy and their joy in life. The important role music and the town dances played in the early settling of America and preserving of our history. Austin is now 90 years old and still passing on the stories his Dad told him. Wade’s music is not in the nature of what is called “modern country” but more that of classic country western. How many of the hits of today will stand the test of time. Who knows? The type of song Wade writes have endured for decades and will continue to find an audience as long as there are those who love the western lifestyle. Hearing others sing his songs was exciting but Wade wanted to sing and in recent years has become an entertainer in his own right. He now has four albums to his credit and has won the prestigious Will Rogers Award in 2000 for Album of the Year, “Hangin’ Around the Moon”, and again in 2003 for Video of the Year, "There Ain't Enough Miles", co-written by Larry Holden off the “A Dyin’ Breed” album.

Wade has always been a true believer that being a cowboy is not just a lifestyle but a state of mind. Looking at his heroes and the examples they set he too wanted to do all he could to preserve the image of the American Cowboy and the ideals he represents for today’s youth and generations to come. To do this he chose to become a major spokesperson for the National Day of the Cowboy. Working with the organizers they have not only passed three resolutions in Congress but encourage several governors to also sign proclamations for establishment of the National Day of the Cowboy. This July 28th will mark the third annual National Day of the Cowboy and will also mark the establishment of this day as a permanent part of the American calendar. Many events have been planned in commemoration of this day. A complete list may be found at www.cowboyday.com

Last year Wade started his own tradition to preserve the Western Heritage and help the youth of the Arkansas and Oklahoma area. The 2nd Annual Mount Royal Trail Ride will be held on September 28th - 29th. The ride will be beginning on his fathers ranch near Chester on the Arkansas-Oklahoma line. From there the riders will pick up the old wagon road through some of the most beautiful wooded areas in America. These trails were not only traveled by early pioneers but were used as escape routes by the likes of Cole Younger, Belle Star and other notorious outlaws of their time. As the trail winds through mountain canyons there is one place where you can literally see groves in the rock from the wagons crossing in the 1870 and early 1880s.

The riders will travel trails that have not seen large groups in over 75 years. They will experience the reality of life on the trail camping and cooking as those that came before them. The menu will include biscuits cooked in the ground by digging a hole and covering the dough with hot coals and coffee cooked over the open fire. Another ritual will be played out as the riders rest for the evening, songs around the campfire in the true tradition of the old west.

On Saturday they will continue riding the trail to Wade’s ranch. At the ranch they will be greeted with a large country dinner and VIP seating at a concert featuring Wade and his band. Last year approximately 50 people from fifteen states rode on the inaugural trail ride. This year preparations are being made for at least 200 riders with another 1000 joining them at the ranch on Saturday night for the concert and festivities. Tickets for the concert are $10.00, children age 6 and under are free. The cost to enjoy an old fashion chuck wagon dinner is only $15.00.

The 2006 Mount Royal Trail Ride donated funds to the Arkansas – Oklahoma Backpack Program that feeds school children who would not have a lot to eat on the weekends. Last year the ride raised enough to feed1900 children and the goal for the 2007 ride is to feed twice that many. Through the ride the local FFA chapters were also able to raise funds.

The Mount Royal Trail Ride and Royal Wade Kimes is being supported by the following sponsors: True West Magazine; Breading Dodge; Sierra Bullet; Star Line Brass; Taylor’s and Company gun imports; KFSM TV Network; Deer Holler Ranch; Hawk Trailers of Wisconsin; Crabtree Motors who are providing an RV for Wade and Band; Community Bank; and RodeoAttitude.com. Learn more about this event at: www.mountroyaltrailride.com

Beginning in July Wade will be joining the on air personalities at XM Radio.. His new show, “Tails from the Trail”, will air on the America Channel 10 and will feature western music and stories from Wade along with special guests. XM Radio is dedicated to providing the listeners with what they want and always welcome song requests so the next time your headed down that long rodeo trail just request your favorite country western song to keep you company!

Royal Wade Kimes heroes have always been cowboys. He knows that cowboys have played an invaluable role in American history and that it is impeditive that this legacy be preserved. It is his goal to use his talent to promote the National Day of the Cowboy, to tell the story of the cowboy through songs, to encourage family to participate in cowboy events such as the Mount Royal Trail Ride and to promote the work done by the Rodeo Attitude Program. To date it looks like he is not only reaching his goals he has become a person even his heroes would admire