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The picture above is of
Dan Mortenson during the 2003
National Finals Rodeo. The final rounds determined who would be the
World Champion Saddle Bronc rider. It came down to an exciting
head to head showdown between Dan Mortenson and reigning champ Glen
O'Neill. Dan came out on top of the standings, earning his
sixth world title, tying the record of the legendary Casey Tibbs.
This song is dedicated to the men and women in this country who choose to keep
our Roots and Culture alive. Whether you rodeo or your a Cowboy in some cow camp
in the brush, you are still one and all, An American Cowboy, without hard work
and dreams, this country would have folded long ago.
In the world of cowboy poetry , where a premium is placed
on authenticity, T. J. Casey, Montana's Singing Cowboy, is the
real McCoy. This Montana native was raised in the Pryor
Mountains "on the Montana/Wyoming border." "I've always
liked this country." He talks about the mountains, the canyons,
the bluffs and the trees like the true poet he is, and adds
"I've always enjoyed the people." Casey and his wife, Marcie,
make their home in Shepherd, Montana.
While not on the national circuit, T.J., a certified
Vet. Tech., spends much of his life in the saddle.
While T.J.
Casey wears many hats, this performer's favorite is that
of cowboy. Casey explains
that he grew up cowboying,and he spent time on the rodeo
circuit. He credits country music legend Chris LeDoux with
putting him on his first bareback horse in 1976. "Not a
successful ride," he reminisces. But that type of influence led
him to start getting serious about the music business while he
was rodeoing. "Back of the chutes is actually where I got most
of my experience," he says. He and others would sit around
singing Marty Robbins songs and others they had written. Later,
while in Tucson, Ariz., a visitor might have seen Casey playing
his guitar while riding his old jenny mule backwards down the
street. "That's how I got people to come ride my stagecoach," he
says, adding that he also drove teams and shod horses for
Universal Studios while there. He is also a certified
welder and ironworker. Currently, he is a certified Vet. Tech
who has delivered
more calves and doctored more horses than he can remember. In December of 2004 another song "In America" was released Nationally as a music video on Horse Sense. Since then TJ has been on national television several times including a Christmas Special for the Troops at Ft Riley before their deployment to Iraq filmed by Best of America By Horseback. His last CD, "Blue Montana Skies" features many of his well known songs including "Trickling Water". This song was chosen for a national publication, Discover a Watershed-Rio Grande/Rio Bravo. Since then that song has been on the Sunset Music Charts at #5 of the Top 10 Western Swing Songs in the World in 2003 and 2004.
Now, any given day will find Casey writing his poetry
and songs, giving workshops and seminars on cowboy
poetry, working with local 4-H kids, and creating horseshoe
and cowboy rope art and furniture. He is currently involved with horses and cattle as a
ranch consultant to the historic T-Bone Ranch out
of Antonito, Colorado.
These days this Montana cowboy poet and
singer/songwriter can be spotted in a myriad of places,
from the recording studio to the classroom to the open
plains near the Pryor Mountains.
And then there are the performances, which
can include private shows, assemblies, fairs, festivals
and other occasions that put Casey behind the mike
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