BIOGRAPHY

Michael Martin Murphey was born in Dallas, Texas which makes him an official TEXAN. His office, Wildfire Productions, is located in Taos, New Mexico. Murph's home is 'the road'.

Murph, as he is known by his many friends, is a multi-talented person. He has written and produced songs for musical groups, movies and TV, besides ranching, acting, recording, producing, teaching, and performing across the USA.

Michael began with music at a very young age when he was given a ukelele from his grandfather in Hawaii. He continually learned to play various musical instruments (mostly self-taught) including the piano, guitar, banjo, concertina, bass, harmonica, harp, clarinet, and fiddle.

His western career of performance evolved at The Sky Ranch youth summer camp in Lewisville, Texas with campfire shows, where he attended as a camper and a counselor.

He attended college at North Texas State University in Denton, Texas (now called University of North Texas) and also at UCLA (University of California-Los Angeles). He studied Medieval History, Greek, Latin, and Creative Writing, as well as Music. As a true historian, this helps to explain why Murph knows the historical information behind all of his songwriting talents. Plus, he is an avid reader and collector of historical books.

In 1967 while still on the West coast, he started a folk-rock group with a friend and named it, The Lewis & Clarke Expedition. Murph performed as Travis Lewis in the group. There was only one record produced from The Lewis & Clarke Expedition. He was at the same time employed as a songwriter with Screen Gems Production Company. Among one of his first songwriting efforts was recorded and performed by the pop group-The Monkees.

Murph relocated to Austin, TX in 1971 and became a part of the 'Outlaw scene', with musicians B.W. Stevenson, Jerry Jeff Walker, Gary P. Nunn, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson.

While in Austin, the albums Geronimo's Cadillac (1972), and Cosmic Cowboy Souvenir (1973) were recorded.

Murph had two very successful hits in 1975 with Wildfire and Carolina in the Pines. He continued with hits, Cherokee Fiddle and A Mansion on the Hill.

He has had twenty songs on the Top 10 pop and country charts.

In 1992, What's Forever For, was his first No. 1 country song.

Murph started the Rocking 3M Ranching Company, a horse and cattle operation in 1978. This effort started him as a rancher in Jal, Red River, and Taos, New Mexico.

In the early 1990's, Murph signed with Warner Brothers and became largely responsible for the creation of the Warner Western label, and the introduction of several wonderful western groups, singers, and poets. This western influence spawned a tremendous interest in Cowboy Poetry, which he often includes on his albums, and performs on stage.

Besides being owner of Westfest/Valley Records in Santa Fe, New Mexico, he is an associate publisher and correspondent for The American West magazine. Murph has also written several articles for Range magazine.

The Murphey Western Institute for American West Cultural Studies was established in 1998. It is a privately-owned, non-profit organization with a mission 'to promote, preserve and perpetuate the culture of the American West.' The Institute is located in Taos Pueblo, Taos, New Mexico and coordinates with the Murphey Public Trails Fund. Murph loves to ride trails, and the organization strives to fund the 'support and preservation of public trails.'

A future endeavor is the Murphey Western Library to house an extensive collection of 4,000 volumes.

He has scored music and narrated documentaries on Western themes, such as 'Great Ranches of the West' for PBS and 'Cowboys of the Americas' for The Disney Channel.

He has begun a Classic Western Series of audio recordings which feature him reading Western non-fiction classics, accompanied by his musical scores, available through The National Cowboy Hall of Fame. We have three of them: The Cowboy Detective by Charles Siringo; The Log of a Cowboy by Andy Adams; and The Rise and Fall of Jesse James by Robertus Love. (I am not sure if there are more available as of this writing.)

Murph and his Rio Grande Band were invited to be the featured entertainer for The Cowboy's Christmas Ball which is held yearly in Pioneer Hall in Anson City, Texas . Tickets to this event are consistently sold out during the following January.

Murph was the 'first Western' singer asked to perform in the spectacular Bass Performance Hall located in downtown Fort Worth, Texas in 1998. The Bass Hall is 'acoustically perfect' (in Murph's own words) and is considered to be one of the top- rated (and beautiful) opera houses in the country. The demand for tickets to his performances are so hot (and a continuous sell out), that a second performance was added to appease the fans.

Westfest has become a familiar name with most, usually held in the mountains of Colorado during Labor Day weekend. Murph wanted to create a type of event, similar to that of the earlier Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West shows, that showcased the American Indian culture, the mountain man, horsemanship, and other various artistic expressions. Westfest has become much more than that early vision. It has also come to include horseback trail rides and campfire concerts. It is now held in many states, and includes a broad spectrum of cultures and arts. Murph added a 'songwriting session' in 1999 to the event. In 2001, a Westfest was held during the July 4th weekend (a new time frame for Westfest) in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Murph began performing concerts on horseback at the New Mexico State Fair. This decision came as a result of a visit with the late, Roy Rogers. Murph was one of the first entertainers to perform music in the main arena at the National Finals Rodeo. He has performed shows at the Houston Livestock Show in the Astrodome, the National Western Stock Show in Denver, and at the World Quarter Horse Show in Oklahoma City.

When time permits, Murph is an Adjunct Professor of American Studies and Music at Utah State University located in the lovely valley of Logan, Utah and also, at the University of New Mexico-Taos. He shares his songwriting techniques and history lessons with everyone.

There never seems to be enough hours in the day for Murph.

He is chairman of the National Indian Education Association; he is on the board of the annual Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada; and he encourages environmentally sound ranching by participating in the Holistic Resource Management Institute. He has received the New Mexico Department of Agriculture's Governor's Award for his being a spokesman for agriculture; was an Academy of Country Music award winner; and several of his cowboy albums received the Heritage Award of the Cowboy Hall of Fame.

He is a five-time award winner with The National Cowboy Hall of Fame. In 1991, he received the Special Award for the Preservation of Authentic Western Music--Cowboy Logic; In 1992, awarded for Original Western Music--Corn, Water and Wood from the Cowboy Christmas album; In 1995, A Special Award for Innovation in Western Music--Sagebrush Symphony; In 1997, Sagebrush Symphony for Austin City Limits; and in 1999 for his song, Summer Ranges.

Murph's favorite venue is an acoustic concert. During the winter months, he performs at his 'homebase' of Red River Inn in Red River, New Mexico. After all the many concerts and travels, he values his time in his private cabin located on Bobcat Pass, some 10,000+ feet 'in the pines'.

At times during the summer, you can find Murph at his new outdoor 'home-away-from-home', 'The Cowboy Palace' (an open-air amphitheater), located behind The Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, Texas.

One of Murph's most recent projects has included the addition of The Singing Cowboy Ranch located in BuenaVista, Colorado. The Singing Cowboy Ranch will host campfire sing-a-longs and trail rides. Murph has also purchased the historical, The Salt Works Ranch, also in Colorado.

One of my more favorite quotes that he has made was in April, 2001 to The Bryan-College Station Eagle newspaper: 'My life takes me into my music; my music does not take me into my life. My music is an expression of who I am and what I do. I think your music and your art should come from real life and real experience.'

He is also in the production of writing his first book, interspersed among all of the above listed activities.

Murph loves what he is doing, and it shows. He is more than just an entertainer. He has said to me that he 'will never quit', because 'it is fun'.

I believe that Murphey has been above and beyond his dreams.

ANNOUNCEMENT: This past year, Murph was wed to Karen, and became the stepdad to her three daughters. The wedding was held in the beautiful United Methodist church in Ft. Worth, TX with the reception held in nearby Bass Hall. It was a very beautiful, traditional wedding. Even Murph's Irish ancestry was visibly included in his Irish bow tie and cumberband. He also sang an Irish ballad for Karen, with help from fiddler, David Coe and guitar player (and son) Ryan Murphey. Murph's parents, son and daughter, and Karen's mom, were all in attendance.

Personal Note:

Murph has a kind heart, and has been an empathetic and sincere friend to me.

I have been truly blessed by having him in my life.

God bless you always, Murph.

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