Ritzville Adams County Journal, January 8, 2009

Waddie Mitchell to perform during Historic

Ritzville Days Western Art Show in May

Waddie Mitchell, known as the Buckaroo Poet, has been signed to perform two free shows in May during the Historic Ritzville Days Western Art Show,

One of the country’s most popular cowboy poets will perform 70-minute shows on Saturday and Sunday, May 23 and 24, during the third annual art show.

Nationally recognized for his work as a cowboy poet, Mitchell is a true ranch hand, having managed a 36,000-acre ranch in Lee-Jiggs, Nev.

“All the time I was growing up we had these old cowboys around,” Mitchell recalls. “When you live in close proximity like that with the same folks month after month, one of your duties is to entertain each other, and I suppose that’s where the whole tradition of cowboy poetry started. You find that if you have a rhyme and a meter to start that story, people will listen to it over and over again.”

Mitchell finally left the full time ranch work behind to pursue his art form full time. In 1984 he helped organize the internationally recognized Elko Cowboy Poetry Gathering and gave his first public performance. Since then he has performed internationally from Los Angeles and New York to Zurich to Melbourne.

The Ritzville Downtown Development Association, organizers of the western art show, have already signed a contract for Mitchell’s performances. Additional entertainment is being planned. The RDDA also plans to host a country street dance on Saturday, May 23. This year’s art show will feature the finest western and wildlife artists from throughout the Pacific Northwest. The Ritzville Community Theatre troupe will present western reenactments throughout the weekend and a wide variety of cowboy entertainment is also planned. The entire event will remain free to the general public.