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AWARDS |
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"One
of our most innovative and creative musicians, Wilkie has had his hand
in more important acoustic and/or country projects than perhaps any
other musician in Alberta's musical history."
DAVID
WILKIE AND COWBOY CELTIC David Wilkie, musician, songwriter and producer from Turner Valley, Alberta, has been honored with the Wrangler Award for the 1998 Outstanding Traditional Western Music Album by the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.
Fittingly, Wilkie received word of the coveted music award while
playing at Elko, Nevada’s 15th Cowboy Poetry Gathering the last week
of January. The gathering was exploring the Scottish influence on
traditional western music and verse this year. David has been
exploring the Celtic roots of cowboy music for several years, and has
been credited with creating a new genre of music, called “Cowboy
Celtic” music. With his recordings, he illustrates the connections
that have long existed between Celtic and cowboy music, and dares to
make a few more of his own.
The award-winning CD, Cowboy Ceilidh (pronounced
kay-lee)
was recorded in Scotland and Ireland with some of the finest musicians
of that genre. Joining David and singer/guitarist Denise Withnell were
Phil Cunningham and Arthur Cormack (Scotland), and Johnny McCarthy,
Matt Cranitch and Laoise Kelly (Ireland). Cowboy balladeer Michael
Martin Murphey, from Taos, New Mexico, sings a beautiful combination
of The Bard of Armagh and
The
Streets of Laredo.
David will be presented with a bronze replica of a Charles M. Russell
sculpture on April 24 in the Sam Noble Special Events Center at the
National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. He and Denise Withnell
will also perform at the ceremony. Hosts for the 1998 ceremony
included Charlton Heston, Bruce Boxleitner, Melissa Gilbert and Larry
Gatlin. The same distinguished group has been asked to host the 1999
ceremonies. Other winners this year are, for film and drama, Martin Scorsese, Kris Kristofferson, Woody Harrelson and Hugh Downs. The other musical award goes to Michael Martin Murphey for best Original Western Composition (Summer Ranges). Past winners include such distinguished writers, actors, producers and directors as John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, John Ford, James Stewart, Thomas Berger, J. Frank Dobie, Hal Wallis, Elmer Bernstein, Robert Redford, Louis L’Amour, Tom Selleck and many others. Cowboy Ceilidh is more than music. It's theatre and imagery and history and storytelling and more, all wrapped up in sagebrush and tartan. Penguin Eggs Magazine, Internet
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