Cowboy Corner

Driving the backroads northwest of Fort Worth, you’d never know that one of the luminaries of Texas country and western music lives just around the bend. Down a gravel road, a pickup marked with Red Steagall’s “RS” brand signals that Steagall is around today. Inside his office, framed records and photos signed by the likes of Ronald Reagan line the wall, hinting at Steagall’s influential career. The display saddles, miniature chuckwagon, and Western artworks reflect a fascination with ranching heritage that has made Steagall one of the nation’s preeminent cowboy poets.

Born in Montague County, Steagall grew up in the Panhandle town of Sanford. He studied animal science and agronomy in college, but it was music that took him to places like Hollywood and Nashville. For the past 42 years, Steagall’s ranch in Azle has been home base for a career that’s generated 25 albums,. His resume also includes several books of cowboy poetry, movie and TV appearances, and in 1991, legislative designation as Texas’ “Official Cowboy Poet.”