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The
Measure Of A Man
(A
Tribute To Chris LeDeoux by Rod Nichols)
How do you measure the life of a man,
is it just by the height of success,
or is it, at last, the number of lives
his love and devotion have blessed.
At wild bronco riding he rose to the
top,
world champion, a rodeo star,
then with a talent from heaven it seemed,
came fame from his voice and guitar.
From a life that was showered with
honors,
his name became known 'cross the land,
but the title he wanted remembered,
was that of a "Family Man."
The years we are granted are unknown,
and sometimes are sadly but few,
so a man lives each day to the fullest,
while doin' the best he can do.
He decided the path he would follow,
and held to that choice throughout life:
the greatest reward beyond all of the fame,
the love of his children and wife.
His legacy we will remember with
pride,
for he rose 'bout as high as you can,
but greater by far is the lesson he left,
well taught by a "Family Man."
How do you measure the life of a man,
is it just by the height of success,
or is it, at last, the number of lives
his love and devotion have blessed.
Hooked On An 8 Second Ride
by Chris LeDeoux
Rollin' down a long highway
Out to New Mexico
Driftin' down to Santa Fe
To ride a bull in a rodeo
He's hooked on a feelin'
Addicted to a natural high
Don't know why it's appealin'
All he knows is he's got to ride
He's addicted to danger
Ruled by passion and pride
To pain and fear he's no stranger
But his lust needs to be satisfied
Hooked on an 8 second ride
Gettin' up down in back of the chutes
Makes that rosin burn
He's got his spurs on the heels of his boots
He's at the point of no return
Climbing over that chute gate he settles down inside
The tension's risin' but he can't wait
Until they turn that bull outside
He's addicted to danger
Ruled by passion and pride
To pain and fear he's no stranger
But his lust needs to be satisfied
Hooked on an 8 second ride
Hooked on an 8 second ride
Hooked on an 8 second ride
Chris LeDeoux © All rights reserved.
CHRIS LEDEOUX-
World Champion Bareback Bronc Rider
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Chris LeDeoux 1948 - 2004
Chris LeDeoux was born in 1948 in Biloxi, Mississippi. His
father was in the USAF at the time. His family settled in Texas
after his father retired from the Air Force; and it was there
that Chris learned to play guitar and started to write songs. Chris began his musical career at 14 when he
was also heavily involved with youth rodeo, and his songs
reflected his love of the exciting sport.
While many country singers think of themselves as cowboys, Chris LeDeoux
was the real thing. While Chris had a talent for bringing the rodeo life
into his songs, he was also a world champion rodeo star, and as of the early eighties
he ran his
own 500 acre ranch in Wyoming.
It was after his family
moved to Wyoming that LeDeoux began to actively pursue his rodeo career. He twice won Wyoming's bareback title while still in high school in
Cheyenne. After graduation he won a rodeo scholarship and received a
national title in his third year. Chris started singing his songs to
fellow rodeo contestants, and they liked his early works such as
Bareback Jack, Rodeo Life, and Hometown Cowboy.
Shortly after getting married in 1972, LeDeoux made his first
recordings in Sheridan, Wyoming. He made his first Nashville recording
after his parents moved to Tennessee. Over the next few years, he
recorded 15 albums in Nashville for his own American Cowboy label.
While he still regarded rodeo as his primary pursuit, he sold 14
million dollars' worth of cassettes, most of them manufactured by his
parents in their own home tape-duplicating room.
By 1976, Chris was becoming known as a singer-songwriter and his
rodeo career was riding high. He won the Bareback Bronc World Title, and
also picked up awards in Wyoming and Nevada for his bronze sculpture of
a bull rider and bronc rider.
LeDeoux continued to rodeo until 1984, when accumulated injuries made him
hang up his spurs. Once he had his Wyoming Ranch up and running, he
began working on his musical career In early 1991, Chris LeDeoux
was signed to Capitol Records. He teamed up with Garth Brooks for
the title song of his 1992 album "Whatcha Gonna Do With A Cowboy", and saw the single race up
the country charts with the album attaining gold status. Another single,
"Cadillac Ranch"(1992), went Top 20..
A devoted husband and doting father, LeDoux spent his time off
the road with his family at their ranch in Kaycee, Wyoming.
In 2000, he was diagnosed with a liver disease, and
successfully underwent a liver transplant. Within six months of
the surgery, LeDeoux was on tour again - throwing himself right
back into the hard-driving, full-force stage shows he was known
for. Later, he was diagnosed with cancer and began
undergoing radiation treatment. Chris LeDeoux died suddenly
at the age of 56.
The following exerpt from one of Chris LeDeoux's poem/lyrics speaks
loudly about the man that wrote them:
..If they ever saw a sunrise on a mountain morning
then they'd know why I live beneath these western skies
I got peace of mind and elbow room
I love to smell the sage in bloom
Or catch a rainbow on my fishin' line
We've got county fairs and rodeos
There ain't a better place for my kids to grow
Just turn 'em loose in the western summer time...
Chris LeDoux, Western Skies
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Rod Nichols, the author
of "The Measure Of A Man" , has another poem
on this web site, along
with a bio and photo . A click of the mouse will
take you there
BULL RIDER.
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Under copyright protection. The
poem s and lyrics on this web page may not be excerpted, copied, or reproduced, used
or performed in any form (graphic, electronic or mechanical) without
the express written permission of the author.
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