tourism

Brownie Ford's father taught him to play the guitar - something his father grew to regret. “I was lazy,” Brownie Ford laughs, a twinkle in his dark eyes. "I’d sit on the fence playing for the other cowhands and when my daddy told me to get in there and help, why the other men just did my work for me. They wanted me to go on playing.”

And that's just what he's done throughout his 87 years. Through horse-breaking, cowpunching, rodeo riding, wild west sharpshooting, from small towns to big cities to the open plains across Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma, Brownie Ford has never been far from his guitar.

He sings about lost love, a cowboy's loyalty, love of the open range. He sings traditional English ballads and standard western tunes. His heart is on his sleeve and his soul is in his voice.

Quick to laugh, always eager to share the many facets of his ever-interesting years, he has lived the life most little boys only dream about. One minute he'll be recounting tales of herding circus elephants across the Atchafalaya River and the next minute he'll relate how he almost died being stomped on by a broncing horse.

In 1990, Brownie Ford went into a recording studio for the first time and loved it, embracing the new just as he loves the old. In doing so, he has preserved a small part of the joy he has given so freely throughout his life.

Our rich cultural heritage is a source of strength and pride for each and every one of us. The Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, and the Louisiana Press Association are pleased to present this series highlighting those who make a vital contribution.