Chris Lee LeDoux

Chris Lee LeDoux was born in Biloxi, Mississippi, on October 2, 1948, the son of an Air Force pilot, and spent his youth traveling around the country and overseas while developing a love for the West, horses, and rodeo. Summers at his grandfather's farm in Michigan and time with his family in Austin, Texas, and later Cheyenne, Wyoming, fed his dream of winning gold buckles, and at age 16 he became the 1964 Little Britches World Champion Bareback Rider. After graduating from Cheyenne Central in 1967 and winning the Wyoming high school state bareback championship that year, he committed himself to rodeo and won the 1969 Intercollegiate Championship at Sheridan College. At the same time, he turned to songwriting to tell stories of the rodeo life, recorded his first album of rodeo songs in 1971, and with help from his parents created the independent label American Cowboy Songs. In 1972 he married Peggy, made Kaycee, Wyoming, their permanent home, and continued pursuing rodeo while they raised five children: Clay, Ned, Will, Cindi, and Beau. At the 1976 National Finals Rodeo he won the World Bareback Title and its Gold Buckle, then started the Haywire Ranch in 1979, retired from rodeo by 1984, and focused more on music. By 1989 he had recorded his 22nd independent album, his family record company had earned more than $4 million in sales, and Garth Brooks mentioned him in his first hit song, bringing him to the attention of Capitol Records Nashville. He signed with Capitol the next year and rose to national prominence with high-powered, pyrotechnic-filled rodeo rock and roll shows, releasing another 18 albums there and selling more than 6 million records worldwide. Widely respected and admired as a cowboy, artist, and troubadour, he also earned honors including five National Finals Rodeo qualifications, induction into the Wyoming Sports Hall of Fame in 2002, the Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame in 2003, the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2005, the National Cowboy Museum's Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2006, the ACM Pioneer Award in 2005, the CMA Award of Merit in 2005, the Texas Trail of Fame in 2007, and recognition as an award-winning sculptor. He died on March 9, 2005.

Kaycee, Wyoming · United States